Record-breaking double gold winner Daniel Wiffen has world record time in sight

Magheralin swimmer Daniel Wiffen has made history for the second time inside four days at the World Aquatics Championships.
By Patrick Van Dort
Published 18th Feb 2024, 16:54 BST
Updated 19th Feb 2024, 10:45 BST
Magheralin's Daniel Wiffen celebrates after winning gold for Team Ireland over the men's 1500m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Magheralin's Daniel Wiffen celebrates after winning gold for Team Ireland over the men's 1500m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Magheralin's Daniel Wiffen celebrates after winning gold for Team Ireland over the men's 1500m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The 22-year-old delivered delight in Doha with a dominant men’s 1500m freestyle final display to build on the milestone moment last week when his 800m triumph marked a landmark first Team Ireland gold in the water.

Hitting top spot in the 1500m in 14:34.07 left Wiffen clear of Germany’s Florian Wellbrock by over 10 seconds on the way to a fresh Personal Best time and Irish senior record across the global celebration’s closing day.

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Having also reached the 400m final in Qatar, Wiffen’s achievements secured the title of ‘Male Swimmer of the Meet’ – but he signed off the dream week with a clear message around forward momentum.

Magheralin’s Daniel Wiffen with his second gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar following men’s 1500m freestyle final glory for Team Ireland. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)Magheralin’s Daniel Wiffen with his second gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar following men’s 1500m freestyle final glory for Team Ireland. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Magheralin’s Daniel Wiffen with his second gold medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Qatar following men’s 1500m freestyle final glory for Team Ireland. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Now the fifth-fastest swimmer to ever tackle the 1500m discipline, Wiffen was open about breaking the 2012 world record time set by China’s Sun Yang of 14:31.02.

"Yeah 100 per cent, it’s definitely one of my goals to try and beat that at some point,” Wiffen told Swim Ireland. “I mean I’m only 22, I have at least another eight years, another couple of Olympics in me. I’m sure it will go at some stage and I hope to be the person to do it.”

Long-term ambitions aside, Olympic Games-bound Wiffen took time out to celebrate his record-breaking success.

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“I mean that race was definitely better for me, I pb’d (personal best), I’m so happy, because after hitting that time in April (2023), it could have been a fluke,” he said. “I went 14:35 at the under 23s (2023)...obviously coming here, the progression from the 400m to the 800m to the 1500m today, I’m just so happy to come away with a pb and two world titles.

“I was talking about it before with my coach Andi (Manley) and we had a little bet to see if I could pb or not, but, 100 per cent, go out a bit faster than everybody else and just be in my own lane, swim my own race and get out ahead and really focus on what I was going to do.”

Larne’s Conor Ferguson also finished the worlds in a final, helping Team Ireland to seventh over the men’s 4x100m medley relay towards Olympic Games goals. It marked a first long-course world relay final appearance by Team Ireland.

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