Daniel Wiffen and Mona McSharry head Irish challenge at World Aquatics Championships in Doha

Ireland has never won a medal at the long course World championships but Wiffen, who took home three gold medals from the European short course championships in Bucharest in December, together with Beijing Olympic finalist Mona McSharry are the team’s outstanding prospects.

For most of the Irish squad securing qualification for the Paris Olympics will be the primary focus.

With the Olympic Games less than six months away some of the world’s leading swimmers including Katie Ledecky from the United States as well as her teammate Bobby Finke and Australia’s Sam Short are not participating.

The latter pair were medallists in the 1500m at the World championships in Fukuoka last year. Wiffen finished fourth in the both the 800m and 1500m final in Japan. He goes into these championships ranked second in the 800mn and third in the 1500m.

Ahmed Hafnaoui from Tunisia will start as favourite having won the gold medal in both events the 2023 World championships.

Sligo native McSharry is ranked second in the 100m breaststroke. Ruta Meilutyte, the defending World champion from Lithuania is ranked first.

Doha is the second of three opportunities for Irish swimmers to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the third and final of these being the Irish Olympic Trials in May.

For relays, the week ahead will be the last opportunity for Paris qualification, with Ireland women’s 4x100m freestyle and 4x100m medley and men’s 4x100m medley all in current contention for places following last summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka.

Wiffen begins his quest for a medal in the heats of the 400m freestyle on Sunday morning. He has already achieved the Olympic qualification standard for the distance but is ranked ninth. He will be aiming for a top eight place to secure a place in Sunday evening’s final.

In the 100m Breaststroke heats, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Darragh Greene will be aiming for a second Olympic Games when he takes to the blocks. Greene, the Irish record holder in the event in 59.76, will need to better that time to secure qualification for Paris.

For the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay team of Erin Riordan, Grace Davison, Maria Godden, and Victoria Catterson, Sunday’s competition represents an opportunity to solidify their place within the top sixteen teams in the world and a place for an Ireland women’s relay team at an Olympic Games – a first time since 1972 if they can achieve this.

With this Ireland relay sitting in 15th place following their result at the 2023 World Championships, there are a number of factors at play that can move them up or down the rankings this time of asking.

Shane Ryan will warm up for his main event, the 100m Freestyle, by competing in the 50m Butterfly, which is a non-Olympic event.

Looking ahead to the event Swim Ireland Performance Director Jon Rudd said “This week is both unusual and unprecedented for the world of swimming. We have never seen a World Championships in an Olympic Year prior to the games, and we’re also unlikely to see that again going forwards.

“However, this championships provides a very unique opportunity for every Irish athlete that has made this trip to Doha, and this brings a new level of excitement and anticipation to this particular competition. For those who step up and grab what is possible here, there is no doubt that the weeks of hard work and preparation will be gratifying and fully justified.”

Clare Cryan and Jake Passmore returned to the pool on Saturday for the mixed 3m synchro final. The duo scored a total of 249.12 to finish in twelfth place, their highest score of 60.48 coming from their fourth dive, a back two and a half somersaults.