Ireland’s history-making Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen, who became his nation’s first Games gold medallists in 28 years at Paris 2024, has no such qualms stating his ambitions – it’s just that until relatively recently “no one really listened.”

A world record, two World titles and Olympic gold, as well as a bronze, during a dazzling eight-month period across 2023 and 2024 has left no-one in any doubt about the swimmer’s ability to live up to his own hype.

“I see it as a confidence thing,” Wiffen, 24, tells World Aquatics. “Okay, when I was younger, I said some stupid things I guess, but when I tell people I’m going for a world record I’m doing it because I know I’ve done the training.

“I was telling people for five years I was going to be the Olympic champion in Paris and nobody believed me at the start, but as we got closer, everybody was like ‘this guy is easily gonna win’.”

It will come as no surprise that Wiffen has modelled himself on outspoken Australian Mack Horton, who won Olympic 400m freestyle gold at the Rio 2016 Games and was always a great source for a strong quote during his highly decorated career.

“He was my biggest hero growing up and while I liked his stroke, he was also a really cool guy and I guess we looked a little alike with the glasses too, so I really looked up to him,” he says.

‘Why Settle For One World Record When You Could Have Four!?’

Despite Wiffen’s astounding successes to date, his drive is relentless, admitting he is “almost never super happy with a race,” and that he was “happier” with his world record-breaking 800m short course victory at the 2023 European Championships, than his Olympic 800m win.

“Breaking a world record is a different type of feeling because you're the fastest-ever, whereas at the Olympics there are like nine other men winning Olympic golds,” he states.

“The overwhelming feeling after the 800m (in Paris) was relief, as there had been such a build up to it and then the pressure was off, but I had expected to be even better suited to the 1500m, so I want to change that bronze for gold next time.

“For me, having such high goals and speaking about them just makes me train harder and harder.”

Which is an ominous sign for his rivals, as Wiffen’s latest target is to add the 800m long course to his 800m short course world record, while also aiming to down both current 1500m marks.

The 800m short course record he broke, with a time of seven minutes and 20.46 seconds, was previously held by Australian great Grant Hackett and had stood for over 15 years.

The current 800m long course record, 7:32.12, was set by China’s Zhang Lin in 2009, while the 1500m marks stand at 14:30.67 (Bobby Fink, USA, Paris 2024) and 14:06.88 (Florian Wellbrock, GER, Abu Dhabi 2021).

“I think the short course records are pretty easy to get,” says Wiffen with his typical air of confidence. “I don’t think it will be a problem, as I have the 800m one, which is probably the harder, but the 800m (long course) is probably the toughest record of all.

“It’s ridiculously hard actually and would involve me basically doing my 400m personal best twice, so that’s why I’m doing more 400’s to try and work on more speed.”

Leading A Twin Life At Home And Abroad

 

Olympic success has led to a host of life-changing opportunities for the swimmer, while several new high-profile commercial sponsors are also now investing in his ongoing success, as well as popularity, but he his humble when asked about the most meaningful experience.

“I really enjoyed the homecoming we did in my hometown where like 1,000 people turned up to my church hall, which was pretty cool,” he tells World Aquatics.

The 24-year-old is now one of the most recognisable faces in Irish sport, something his identical twin brother Nathan, who is also an international swimmer for Ireland, experienced first-hand watching his sibling make his open water swimming debut during the second week of the Games in Paris.

“Nathan never pretends to be me, but people just come up to him and say, ‘Oh, Daniel, can have a photo’ and Nathan will tell them who he actually is, but they don’t care.

“He was taking photos while I was swimming in the Seine but it has happened at Irish Championships before as well and to be honest, Nathan takes a lot of the heat off me when I’m preparing to swim, so I don’t get swarmed.

“People do stop me in the streets and I find it a little weird because I’m a sportsman, not a major celebrity, but right now I wouldn’t be able to walk down Dublin city centre without somebody taking a photo.

“The really positive side though is getting to do swim clinics, hearing how I inspired some of the children and then learning how they dropped the personal bests after listening to my technique points and that to me is the coolest thing.”

Defending a Doha Double at ‘Super-Fast’ Singapore Worlds

 

Wiffen has been documenting his journey to Singapore via a series of video features, entitled ‘against the clock’, on his rapidly growing ‘Wiffen Twins’ YouTube channel which document his bid to retain the 800m and 1500m World titles he won at Doha 2024.

“I’m reigning double World champion at the moment and I'm trying to win those again and maybe I’ll add the 400m to it as well,” he says with a smile, before admitting he expects the current 400m World record, set by Lukas Märtens in April, is likely to be lowered again.

“I'm really good friends with Lukas, so if I wanted anybody to break it, other than myself, I wanted it to be him as he’s such a nice guy, but I do think it’s going to be lowered (from 3:39.96) into around 3:38 this summer.”

Wiffen admits he expects races across the board to be “very fast and very fun” and he is relishing the challenge of taking on the best swimmers on the planet in Singapore.

“Everyone says the hardest race to win is the one after the Olympics so my goal is to go out and smash it, with three medals the goal but at least one gold, ideally the 800m so I can keep up that streak,” Wiffen tells World Aquatics.

“The 1500m world record is definitely one I’m looking at too, so, I'm looking forward to seeing some fast racing from myself and everybody else and I hope all my competitors are going to be there, fit and ready for a good fight.”