Heaven knows they're ecstatic now

SHE cried as the race began, she cried as it continued, she cried when Michelle Smith won, she cried singing the national anthem, and she cried while singing Michelle Ma Belle especially through the "we love you, we love you, we love you" part.

When you are 17 and your cousin becomes world for the second time in three days it must be like that.

But for Gemma Traynor, the second gold medal win for Michelle Smith was a particularly draining experience.

"I just. . . . bawled," she told The Irish Times, somewhat unnecessarily. "I was just really, really excited... I was so happy for her." Oh, and she was.

They all were, all that extended family of Smiths, Traynors, Andrews, and friends, in the very merry hospitality suite at RTE this morning.

Michelle's sister, Aisling (18), was so, so proud. She is the first Irish person, the first Irish person," she emphasised, to win two gold medals for Ireland at the same Olympics."

Her other sister, Sarah (24), pronounced herself "the happiest I have ever been". Both sisters are swimmers too. Aisling is studying social science at Maynooth and Sarah works for British Midland at Heathrow.

At 7.30 a.m. this morning they will fly to Atlanta, along with their brother Brian (9), courtesy of Dunnes Stores, who are one of Michelle's sponsors.

"We are a close knit family explained the Smith sisters' aunt, Eithne Traynor,"we're very ordinary people." Dubs too, for three generations on each side. "A very old Irish family," was how she described the Traynors. This became clear as they all sang the national anthem, word perfect.

Eithne "would dismiss absolutely" the comments from the American swimmer Janet Evans. It "does hurt the family to be placed on such a level," she said, "but we can all rise above it."

It was "unsportsmanlike" for anyone to make a comment like that, and "sad that someone should feel that bad".

There also was the very happy Colm Andrews, a brother in law of Mrs Smith's.

But Colm was getting fed up of that word "focused".

"Why was everyone saying Michelle was focused," he asked "she's not a photographer." He preferred cool, clear, determined ability to succeed, a winner." And more.

Janet Evans was being given scant attention among the hugely happy extended family at RTE where the only sour grapes were liquid ones.

Heaven knows she's miserable still. And it took a Smith.