Swimming
Daniel Wiffen clinched gold in the men’s 800m freestyle final at Paris 2024 with a thrilling finish, setting an Olympic record time of 7:38.19. Trailing in second place with 150 meters to go, Wiffen surged past Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri to secure the top spot.
This victory marks Ireland’s second swimming medal in two days, following Mona McSharry’s bronze in the 100m breaststroke. Wiffen, hailing from Armagh, becomes Ireland’s second medalist at the Paris Games, adding to his impressive swimming career.
Overcome with emotion after receiving his gold medal, Wiffen reflected on the significance of hearing the Irish national anthem played in his honor. “I shed a lot of tears there. It’s amazing, I love hearing the national anthem,” he said. “This is my sixth time this season hearing it, so it’s kind of crazy. I’m just so happy.”
Wiffen’s journey to gold began with his first Olympic appearance at the delayed Tokyo Games. He arrived in Paris as a strong contender, having won both the 800m and 1500m titles at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha. Despite these successes, Wiffen had aimed to improve his technique and confidently stated earlier this month, “You’re going to see a new Daniel Wiffen in Paris.”
Starting the final in lane four between Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri and Tunisia’s Ahmed Jendoubi, Wiffen quickly positioned himself among the leaders. He was third after the first 50 meters and had moved up to second by the 300-meter mark. By the halfway point, he had taken the lead, with USA’s Bobby Finke in second.
With 150 meters remaining, Wiffen was narrowly trailing Paltrinieri but launched a final, decisive surge to take the lead. Finke moved into the silver medal position, but Wiffen held on to secure victory, delivering Ireland’s 12th-ever Olympic gold medal.
Ecstatic after the race, Wiffen expressed his disbelief and gratitude. “It’s amazing. What’s my name? Daniel Wiffen, Olympic champion. It’s really good, I can’t believe it. I want to thank my brother Nathan, my parents, my whole coaching staff in Loughborough University, and Team Ireland. I couldn’t have done it without anybody. It was such a good effort,” he said.
Wiffen also detailed the race’s dramatic closing stages, admitting, “I kept looking over and looking over, and I saw I got by him and I knew it was over, I had won. Pretty crazy. Another title in the book. Now I can say I am one of the best ever.”
His twin brother, Nathan, was poolside to witness the victory, making the moment even more special. “I heard Nathan when I walked out, which is kind of incredible. Seeing my family makes it so much better and it’s even better to do it in front of them,” Wiffen said. “Nathan has really done a lot for me this season. He finished his season in Europeans coming fourth. He did miss out on the Olympic Games, but to make it up to him, I got Olympic gold.”
Wiffen will next compete in the men’s 1500m, with heats scheduled for Saturday, and has also expressed his intention to participate in the open water 10km marathon.
Rowing
In other Olympic news, Irish rowers Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle showcased their prowess in the Men’s Double Sculls. The duo recorded the fastest times across both semi-finals this morning, setting the stage for a promising performance in the finals.
