From Ahmed Hafnaoui's family to Tom Dean's party: best reactions to Tokyo 2020 triumphs


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Some of the most memorable moments from the Olympic Games over the years are the emotional celebrations of family and friends after an athlete has won gold.

Who can forget South African swimmer Chad Le Clos' father, Bert, from the London 2012 Games and his famous "unbelievable" reaction to his son's victory in the 200m butterfly?

It has been more of the same at the Tokyo Games, with several videos going viral that capture the moment of pure elation from family and friends witnessing life-changing triumphs.

Here is a selection of some of the best reactions so far from the 2020 Games.

Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia) - 400m freestyle

Hafnaoui delivered one of the biggest upsets of the Tokyo Games when he clinched gold in the 400m freestyle having qualified for the final eighth fastest. The swimmer's reaction in the pool said it all as he roared and punched the water in delight - but that was understated compared to his family, who watched his victory on television back home in Tunisia.

Tom Dean (Great Britain) - 200m freestyle

Dean secured gold in the 200m freestyle in the most dramatic of circumstances, edging his Team GB teammate Duncan Scott by just 0.04sec. It was the first time since 1908 that Great Britain had two male swimmers claim gold and silver in the same swimming race. Dean's victory was all the more impressive considering he caught Covid-19 twice last year.

A large party of family and friends gathered in his hometown in Maidenhead in the middle of the night to watch Dean's victory, with his mother Jacquie Hughes front and centre of the celebrations.

Kaylee McKeown (Australia) - 100m backstroke

McKeown emerged victorious from a fiercely-competitive 100m backstroke final as the Australian claimed the gold 0.25sec ahead of Canada's Kylie Masse, setting a new Olympic record in the process. McKeown, 20, was cheered on by students at her old school in Australia - and their reaction says it all after she secured the win.

Lydia Jacoby (USA) - 100m breaststroke

Jacoby, 17, is still a high school student in Alaska but she is also now an Olympic champion after her triumph in the 100m breaststroke. A watch party at Seward High School witnessed their classmate win gold in Tokyo and her victory sparked wild celebrations.

Italo Ferreira (Brazil) - surfing

Ferreira created history at the Tokyo Games by becoming the inaugural male Olympic surfing champion. The time difference between Brazil and Japan made no difference to the people in Ferreira's hometown of Baia Formosa as they hit the streets to celebrate his gold medal.

Ariarne Titmus (Australia) - 400m freestyle

The duel between Titmus and the USA's Katie Ledecky was one of the most intriguing subplots in the build-up to the Tokyo Games and it was Titmus who drew first blood by winning the 400m freestyle. The reaction of Titmus' coach, Dean Boxall, up in the stands has become one of the highlights of the Olympics so far. Boxall has since received a ticking off by organisers for ripping off his mask and he has apologised. This clip has a brief second of Titmus' family celebrating at the end so qualifies for the purposes of this list ...


Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:

  • Former first lady Hillary Clinton
  • Former US president Barack Obama
  • Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
  • Former CIA director John Brennan at CNN's New York bureau
  • Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
  • California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)
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Updated: July 27, 2021, 9:58 AM