'I'm so proud': Gold, silver, bronze...Team NI medal night to remember as Kate O'Connor, Daniel Wiffen and Ellie McCartney secure Commonwealth Games honours across few hours

Holding control of the multi-events leaderboard in Glasgow after Tuesday’s run across the first four and the early Wednesday events, O’Connor wrapped up the main prize for a first Team NI gold at the Scotland event.

Victory arrived in style off top spot across the 800m race – with Phillip Beattie winner of the 400m hurdles during 1986.

McCartney had earlier posted 2:24.73 for bronze in the women’s 200m breaststroke final.

Wiffen arrived in Glasgow tipped for success but followed up last week’s fifth across the men’s 400m freestyle final with a fourth on Monday night in the men’s 800m freestyle showdown.

However, he finished in silver style across the men’s 1500 freestyle final.

“I’m so proud…I was trying my best to keep up with the rest of the guys and everybody's been doing really well,” said O’Connor on securing a first Team NI gold.

She added, on following Beattie’s 1980s achievement: “It's kind of surreal whenever you hear stats like that - and I think it's the first female since Mary Peters.

“Crazy stats whenever you hear of it, but I think that when you're the athlete and you're in it I'm always looking towards the future and it's probably not until I stop and look back on what I've done that I'll actually be able to appreciate it.

“My mum was crying up in the stands there, she was delighted for me as well as my dad and my boyfriend’s here.

"I have so many family and friends here as well, it's just across the water, which is absolutely amazing.

“I'm delighted to get the gold medal.”

And O’Connor spent her post-gold media time turning focus to future targets.

“I learned a lot last year, I think that a lot of the competitions I was going into I knew I was within medal potential and carrying that load on your shoulders is pretty tough,” she reflected. “Coming here, the first time I was ever in the hopes for a gold medal spot, it was tough.

"After the shot I definitely had mixed emotions, realising that I was going to probably have to work even harder than I had originally expected.

"And it wasn't until after the job was done where I was able to set it in stone that I had won the race again.

“I went home and spoke to my coaches afterwards and they were saying to me that I've got to just remember that it's a championship and championships aren't about huge scores.

“It's about competing and competing to the best of your ability...no matter rain, sun, whatever.

"And, of course, yesterday for us there was a lot of rain and it was cold and I did the best that I could have with the elements that were thrown at me.

“The score was very good considering what I was dealing with, so yeah, I'm hoping the Europeans (August) in Birmingham will be nice and sunny and warm and I'll be able to go out and have a great score.

"I'm just going to try to think of these last few days as really tough training days and I've got two full weeks - it's not like it's competing back-to-back.

“When I did the pentathlon last year, we travelled to China after the Europeans and that was a tough turnaround… it'll be fine, I'm not worried about it at all…my body feels good, I feel healthy, I don't think I've broke myself out there.”

With Katarina Johnson-Thompson – heptathlon champion across the Commonwealth Games in both 2018 and 2022 – a late tournament withdrawal due to injury, O’Connor entered the Scotland showpiece with an extra boost.

O’Connor finished the Birmingham tournament with silver four years ago,

Anna McCauley was also representing Team NI across the women’s heptathlon.

McCauley posted a Personal Best of 6.23m to open Wednesday’s long jump.

The confirmed Team NI medal tally heading into Wednesday’s schedule featured four thanks to Barry McClements (silver, para swimming), Bethany Firth (bronze, para swimming), Gary Kelly (bronze, bowls) and Shauna O’Neill/Chloe Wilson (bronze, bowls).

In the boxing ring, medals will follow for Team NI competitors thanks to semi-final progress rewarded with honours for all last-four fighters.

Kaci Rock (women’s 65kg), Garyn McAllister (men’s 90kg), Jon McConnell (men’s 70kg), Michaela Walsh (women’s 57kg), Jude Gallagher (men’s 60kg) and Willie John McCartan (men’s 90+kg) will next attempt to progress beyond guaranteed bronze.