Daniel Wiffen (born 14 July 2001) is an Irish swimmer who competes at the Olympic Games, world championships and European championships for Ireland and at the Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. He is the Olympic and world champion at 800 metres.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 14 July 2001 Leeds, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home town | Magheralin, County Down[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | Ireland Northern Ireland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Wiffen won gold at the men's 800 metre freestyle final at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, setting an Olympic record time of 7:38.19.[1] He won the 800 and 1500 metres freestyle at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, the first time a male Irish swimmer had become world champion.[2][3] He won the 400, 800 and 1500 metre freestyle at the 2023 European Swimming Championships (25m) in Otopeni, and the inaugural European Under-23 title in 2023 in Dublin.
Wiffen holds the 800 metres freestyle short-course world record with a time of 7:20.46.[4]
Background
Wiffen was born in Leeds, England, and moved to Magheralin at the age of two. He has three siblings, twin brother Nathan, sister Elizabeth and another brother, Ben.[5][6] The family home is close to the border of County Down but is in County Armagh.[7] He became the 2023 European short-course (25-metre pool) champion over 400, 800 and 1500 metres freestyle, the first Irish swimmer to win European short-course gold. In the 2022 Commonwealth Games he won the silver medal for Northern Ireland in the 1500 metres freestyle.[8]
He competed in the men's 800 metres freestyle and 1500 metres freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[9][10] In December 2022 Wiffen broke the European record for the 800 metres freestyle short course, becoming the first Irishman to hold a European record in swimming.[11] At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships he broke the European record for the 800 metres long course as well.
He also won the inaugural 2023 European under-23 championship over 1500 metres freestyle.
| Year | 400m | 800m | 1500m |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | 8th | 9th |
| 2023 | 4th | 4th | |
| 2024 | 7th | 
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2024 Summer Olympics
Wiffen qualified in the 400m, 800m and 1500m for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, but decided not to compete in the 400m and instead swim in the 10km Open water swimming. He would become Ireland's first Olympian in that discipline.
Wiffen qualified in first place for the 800m freestyle final and on 30 July, he won the gold medal in a new Olympic record time of 7:38.19.[12] This was Ireland's twelfth Olympic gold and first in swimming since Atlanta in 1996. He was the second Irish swimming medalist at the 2024 games and the first individual Olympic Gold medal winner from Northern Ireland since 1972.[13][14][15] On 4 August, Wiffen won the bronze medal in the 1500m freestyle final, with a time of 14:39.63.[16][17]
| Year | 800m | 1500m | OW 10 k |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 |
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— |
Personal life
Daniel's twin brother, Nathan, is also a swimmer who finished fourth in the 1500m at the 2024 European Championships.[18]
Daniel and his twin brother have a YouTube Channel. They both had minor roles in The Frankenstein Chronicles (season 1, episode 2) and Games of Thrones (season 3, episode 9).[19]. In the latter episode, their sister Elizabeth also appeared as Neyela Frey.[20]
Wiffen attends Loughborough University.[21]
Records
Notes
- ^ Magheralin is mainly in County Down but Wiffen's family home is in the County Armagh part of the village.
References
- ^ Diallo, Raf. "Paris 2024: Daniel Wiffen surges to gold in 800m final". RTE. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ "Daniel Wiffen makes history with gold medal at World Championships in Doha". RTÉ Sport. 15 February 2024. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024.
- ^ "World champion Daniel Wiffen savouring 'surreal' achievement". RTÉ Sport. 15 February 2024. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Eoin (4 July 2024). "Daniel Wiffen smashes 800m freestyle world record to win third European Short Course Championships gold". RTÉ Sport. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Olympics Swimmer Daniel Wiffen's Sister Elizabeth Played Neyela Frey In The Game of Thrones". Amy Movie. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Raf Diallo, 'Paris 2024: Daniel Wiffen ice cold as Olympic zenith carried on commentary wave (video 2)'. RTÉ Sport, 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024
- ^ 'Armagh or Down? Which county can claim Daniel Wiffen?'. BBC News, 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024
- ^ "Daniel Wiffen". Olympedia. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Men's 800m Freestyle: Results Summary" (PDF). Tokyo 2020. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Men's 1500m Freestyle Heats Results" (PDF). Tokyo 2020. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 30 July 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ Kenny, John (15 December 2022). "Wiffen sets European record in 800m freestyle". RTÉ Sport.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Daniel Wiffen surges to gold in 800m final". BBC Sport. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ Gray, Andy (29 July 2024). "Wiffen 'had eyes on Olympic record' in 800m heats". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Brett (30 July 2024). "Co Down swimmer becomes first individual NI athlete to win Olympic gold in 52 years". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 July 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ O’Brien, Brendan (29 July 2024). "Mona McSharry wins bronze for Ireland at the Olympic Games". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
- ^ McKendry, Adam (4 August 2024). "Magheralin's Daniel Wiffen claims second Olympic medal after sealing bronze in 1500m freestyle". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
- ^ "Paris 2024: Daniel Wiffen third as Bobby Finke breaks world 1500m freestyle record". RTE Sport. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Men's 1500m Freestyle Final". European Aquatics. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "Daniel Wiffen: From Game of Thrones extra to centre stage for Ireland swimming". Olympics.com. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ "Olympics Swimmer Daniel Wiffen's Sister Elizabeth Played Neyela Frey In The Game of Thrones". Amy Movie. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
- ^ Gray, Andy (25 July 2024). "Paris 2024: 'I'm not coming away from Paris without a medal'". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
Wiffen, a student at Loughborough University.
External links
- Official website
- Daniel Wiffen at World Aquatics
- Daniel Wiffen at SwimRankings.net
- Daniel Wiffen at Olympics.com
- Daniel Wiffen at Olympedia
- Daniel Wiffen at the Olympic Federation of Ireland
- Daniel Wiffen at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games
