DANIEL WIFFEN SAYS that becoming a double world swimming champion will have no affect on his focus for the Paris Olympics later this year.
Wiffen made history at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha recently, capturing gold medals in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events. His 800m achievement was particularly noteworthy as he became Ireland’s first-ever medalist at the world long course championships.
He followed that up with three gold medals over 400m, 800m and 1500m for Loughborough University at the recent British Universities & Colleges Long Course Championships, while the Irish Olympic trials in May will be his last major event before Paris in July.
But all the silverware accumulated up to now does nothing to change his concentration. He’s been plotting this path to Olympic success since competing in the 1500m heats at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
“Paris has always been the goal,” he said today. “Since the last Olympics, we’ve been on a three-year journey of the steps we need to hit on the way. Paris is going to be very fun for me. The goal has never changed, there’s no added pressure from my results at the World Championship.
“I always thought in my head I was going to become a World champion anyway.”
Reigning 1500m Olympic champion Bobby Finke of America, and Australia’s Sam Short, both opted not to compete at the world championships as they prepare for the Olympics. But Wiffen still had stiff competition in the water in Doha, as he came in ahead of former world champion and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Florian Wellbrock of Germany in the final.
There was over 10 seconds separating the two as Wiffen touched the wall in a blistering time of 14:34.07. But the Magheralin man knows that the margins between the top prospects are much finer than that as the Olympics looms.
“There’s seven people separated by three seconds on their personal bests. There was two of them missing at the World Championships but I beat the previous world champion so it really doesn’t matter how much you beat the person who won the last one.”
Wiffen is in the middle of a rest week after his brilliant run with Loughborough at the University championships. It’s an event that gives him an opportunity to immerse himself in a team environment. Loughborough is also the place where his skills as a swimmer truly evolved under the supervision of coach Andi Manley.
“It’s a prestigious thing getting selected because we have a 42-year winning streak,” Wiffen adds.
The next stage of his Olympic preparation sees Wiffen travel to Arizona for an altitude training camp. Based on some testing conducted by his university, Wiffen has been told that the benefits he gains from such training is greater than any athlete they’ve seen.
“They use a test called the hemoglobin test where you have to breathe through a tube to test your red blood cell count. They judged it off my red blood cell count before altitude and then coming back. I had a crazy increase, it was over 10% or maybe even 20%.”
These are prosperous days for the 22-year-old Wiffen, and have been so for some time. The last time he felt a dip in his form or had a negative feeling towards swimming? There’s a long pause before he can recall a dark cloud in his days.
“2018 was the last time. I think that was the only year where I hadn’t made a PB in a season.”
The road to Paris via a stop-off in Arizona awaits.
Daniel Wiffen is a PTSB Team Ireland Ambassador
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