Daniel Wiffen’s ‘crack the world record’ goal on day he targets second Olympic Games gold
Magheralin’s Daniel Wiffen has a second self-imposed motivation beyond Olympic Games history when he steps on to the starter block on Sunday for the men’s 1500m freestyle final.
The Team Ireland swimmer already has secured his place in the history books with a milestone gold medal last Tuesday night over the men’s 800m freestyle final – now he wants a bonus boost on top of the 1500m win with a world record run.
A time of 14:40.34 in the Saturday heat kept Wiffen on a clear course to glory as the fastest in the field.
It marked his fourth fastest ever and second quickest of the year behind the world title-winning time of 14:34.07 he set in Doha.
Wiffen’s post-heats thoughts, however, turned to future goals.
“I’ll give you a little insight...I am going to try and crack the world record,” said the 23-year-old ahead of the Sunday showpiece (5.37pm UK start time). “If it happens it happens and if it doesn’t it doesn’t but I think, personally, that it’s going to take that to win gold. We’ll see.”
Wiffen has already made history as our first individual summer Olympic Games champion since Lady Mary Peters in 1972 – and only fourth in Northern Ireland history at that point following the 1988 gold won by Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood with the Team GB hockey squad.
Newtownards’ Rhys McClenaghan made it four gold at the Paris Games by Northern Ireland competitors with his men’s pommel horse triumph on Saturday night.
Belfast’s Jack McMillan and Coleraine’s Hannah Scott have also won in France as Northern Ireland-born competitors following Wiffen – in swimming and rowing respectively for Team GB over last Tuesday night and Wednesday morning – with Rebecca Shorten (Team GB, rowing) securing silver last Thursday on the same day Philip Doyle (Team Ireland, rowing) won bronze.
Wiffen added on Saturday: “I’m not gonna lie, I felt like I was carrying a bit of fatigue still. I haven’t really slept properly since the 800m.
"I’m still getting eight hours but it’s not the perfect sleep that I want.
"The start was a bit uncomfortable and then I really settled into the pace and I was actually kind of surprised that I went that fast. It felt like a 14:50 swim but it was a 14:40, maybe my pace is a bit off in my head but we’ll see."
Ahead of the Sunday final he outlined his recovery plans.
“Just sleep a lot,” he said. “That’s what the Chinese 100m freestyler said when he broke the world record and that’s exactly what I’m going to do…sleep a lot.
"I’ve had to park the 800, put it in the back of my mind, going into this race I’m looking at it as I haven’t won anything and going in with the same attitude as the 800m final.”
One Northern Ireland-born medal winner from the past – Coleraine’s Richard Chambers – played his part in Saturday success for Team GB.
Chambers finished the London 2021 event with a silver medal on the water and over the weekend was coach of the Team GB rowers’ women’s eight towards bronze.
In the pool, the Saturday schedule featured Larne’s Danielle Hill and Conor Ferguson on show across heats plus Grace Davison of Bangor and Belfast’s Victoria Catterson.
Despite missing out on final progress due to 11th position for both the men and women, both 4x100m medley relay squads set national record times.
Hill was also on show in the women’s 50m freestyle heats and came in eighth in her class with the third-fastest time across a career run.