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PROUD parents Jenny and Con O'Shea sat glued to the television in the early hours of Friday as superstar cyclist son Glenn claimed his first Commonwealth Games gold medal in Glasgow.
His mum cheered loudly from the family home in Eaglehawk as O'Shea and his Aussie squad-mates flew around the velodrome in the final of the 4000m team pursuit, outclassing their English rivals and setting a new Games record.
"I was yelling; (Con) was just sitting there quietly," Mrs O'Shea told the Bendigo Advertiser.
"We are very proud.
"Once they did their first kilometre, I was pretty certain they would get it - the English were a long way behind.
"Even after qualifying, I was quietly confident. He looked really good - when they got off the bikes they didn't look exhausted, they just looked calm."
After staying up to watch the final, held about 2.40am local time, Mrs O'Shea didn't get to bed until after the medal presentation more than an hour later.
O'Shea's brother Shaun was also urging him on from home in Epsom, while sister Nicole Scullion was trackside in Glasgow with her husband Lee and daughter Isabella.
"I think there were a lot of family members right around Victoria and Western Australia who were up watching it," Mrs O'Shea said.
And there are more late nights in store: O'Shea is likely to ride in the points race overnight Saturday and the scratch race on Sunday.
"I might have to have an early night tonight," Mrs O'Shea laughed.
"But a couple of Glenn's team-mates are riding and I want to watch them, too."
She said she had not spoken to her golden boy after his win and probably wouldn't get the chance until next week, when his busy schedule was over.
The O'Sheas would have loved to have seen his medal ride in person.
"But we've been away two years in a row and it's hard to keep going," his mum said.
"We were there in London (where O'Shea won Olympic team pursuit silver in 2012) and if we hope to go to Rio in two years' time...."
