The World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) is set to cap a remarkable 12 months for Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen, which began when he smashed the longest-standing world record in swimming.
December 10 will mark the opening day of the Championships in Budapest, and exactly one year since Daniel Wiffen’s stunning performance and feat achieved at the European Short Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania.
The short course world record in the men’s 800m freestyle had been set by Grant Hackett of Australia in July 2008 and stood for 5,917 days, when Wiffen smashed it by nearly three seconds, triumphing in an astonishing 7:20.46. To give some further perspective, Hackett initially broke the world record in this race in August 2001 – less than three weeks after Wiffen was born!
Wiffen’s achievement was all the more incredible having followed on from successes in the 1500m freestyle and 400m freestyle at the European Short Course Championships. Adding even further to it, prior to his treble gold-medal haul no Irish swimmer had ever won a European short course title.
The historic and world record-shattering Championships has proven a springboard for Wiffen to star on swimming’s biggest stages.
He made more history for his country at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha in the 50m pool, becoming Ireland’s first-ever medallist with an impressive 800m freestyle gold in 7:40.94. Wiffen added to it by becoming only the fourth man in history to double this with the 1500m freestyle gold, which he achieved in 14:34.07 – more than 10 seconds clear of his closest challenger.
That proved the precursor to a memorable Olympic gold medal during Paris 2024 in Olympic record time. Just over two weeks after his 23rd birthday, Wiffen clocked 7:38.19 to be crowned the 800m freestyle champion, edging out American Bobby Finke in a thrilling final. It made him Ireland’s first Olympic gold medallist in swimming since Atlanta 1996, and their first ever in a men’s event.
Wiffen was also the quickest in the 1500m freestyle heats in Paris, but had to settle for bronze in 14:39.63 after Finke produced a world record of his own with a 14:30.67 swim in the final.
Wiffen’s year will end with a return to short course competition at the World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) in Budapest.
It has been 12 months in which Wiffen has made history on a routine basis. Based on the level of his performances and his form, it would be a surprise if there is another 15 years before the 800m freestyle short course world record is beaten again with the Irishman a strong contender to better his own mark.