Daniel Wiffen breaks Irish record on way into World Aquatics Championships 800m final

Wiffen is the third Irish swimmer to achieve the Olympic qualifying standards (OQS) with Ellen Walshe (200m individual medley) and Mona McSharry (100m breaststroke) clocking their required times in the first two days of competition in Fukuoka.

Swimming in the final heat, Wiffen along with the three Tokyo Olympic medallists in the 800m Freestyle, Bobby Finke (gold), Gregorio Paltrinieiri (silver) and Mykhailo Romanchuk (bronze) took a lead after the first 100 metres and swam stroke for stroke, knowing if they could keep the pace, they would be through to the final and that’s how the heat transpired with the four going through.

Speaking afterwards Wiffen said ‘I’m feeling great, that’s obviously job one done which was to qualify for the Olympics, and then to progress to the final was next so I’ve done both in a really great race.

“My plan was to be as easy as possible, and I was maybe hoping for a tiny bit faster but I’m really happy I made it back and it wasn’t too taxing in the body.”

Wiffen, who ranks fourth into the final did increase his stroke rate for the last 50m to win the heat in 7:43.81, a new Irish Record, erasing his former best of 7:44.45, which was also well inside the OQT of 7:51.65, he said ‘I didn’t go to my legs there I think, it was more that I just wanted to win the heat by a touch, so I knew that if I sped up my stroke rate a tiny bit I’d get it’

Australia’s Sam Short, who won 1500m Freestyle Commonwealth Games Gold ahead of Wiffen’s silver medal last year, is the fastest qualifier for the 800m Freestyle final in 7:40.90.

The men’s 800m Freestyle Final takes place tomorrow (Wednesday) at 12.02pm.

Also, in action this morning Darragh Greene won his heat of the 50m Breaststroke in 27.54 to finish in twenty second place overall. Victoria Catterson, making her individual world championships debut clocked 2:00.82 in the 200m Freestyle. Both Greene and Catterson return to the pool on Thursday for the 200m Breaststroke and 100m Freestyle respectively.

This afternoon, Mona McSharry will compete in the 100m Breaststroke Final. McSharry is ranked fourth going into the final which takes place at 1:45pm

The World Aquatics Championships is the first of three opportunities for Irish swimmers to secure individual Olympic places, the second being the World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Qatar in February 2024, and the third being the Irish Open Swimming Championships in May 2024.

Today's Sports News in 90 Seconds - 25th July