‘It’s definitely a possibility’ – Daniel Wiffen targeting Olympic medal after smashing world record

Wiffen made history over the weekend by setting a new 800m freestyle world record at the European Short Course Championships in Romania, as the Magheralin native beat Australian Grant Hackett’s record, which stood for 15 years, by almost three seconds.

The 22-year-old also became the first Irish swimmer to break a world record as he won his third gold medal of the championships. He admits breaking a world record was always a dream of his but with that box now ticked, an Olympic medal is the target now, with the world championships to come in February too.

“I'm just going to go back to training with the same mindset as before. It's definitely a possibility (winning an Olympic medal). I'm training for it. I guess we have to see what happens on the day,” said Wiffen, speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne earlier today.

"I'll train tonight and carry on as before I swam at the competition. I did think I was going to go fast yesterday. Putting it in your head is one thing, putting it on paper is a lot different. It was amazing. I always say I love training more than racing and I think that is what the secret is to swimming fast. I love turning up to training at 5am.

"I've always dreamt of breaking a world record and I've done it. I'd say long course swimming has more prestige to it. That’s the next goal, to shift the world record we did from the short course pool to the long course pool and see what we can do.

"We came into the championships with the goal of just winning one medal and then we came away with three which is amazing to start off with it. The world record (led) to winning the male swimmer award because I think it was the only world record in the short course season in 2023. It's pretty cool to have that to my name."

Despite his success on Sunday, Wiffen revealed he had been ill on the eve of the race.

“I'm not sure if it was food poisoning or what was going on, but I was throwing up from 1am until 5am. I had really bad stomach pain. I paced it all differently compared to my normal races because I was feeling sick at the start. I got into it well then and it worked out,” he said.

After surpassing Australian swimmer Hackett’s long held record, Wiffen said the three-time Olympic gold medallist, also a hero of his, had been in touch and passed on his congratulations.

"He’s obviously one of my idols and one of the greatest swimmers ever,” said Wiffen, who was also named Best Male Swimmer in the competition.

“To take down the last record of his on the books and for it to be the oldest world record standing is amazing. Three seconds off was just class. I was amazed. He texted me after the race to say it was just a good time and to take it in, because world records don't happen that often.

"People say records aren't forever but medals are so that's why people take in the medals more than the records."

And after a pair of fourth-place finishes in the world championships in Japan last July, Wiffen is desperate to go one better in Doha next year.

"Hopefully it'll be a fast one. I'll be resting for that one. I'd just like to better what happened last time. Last summer, I came away with two fourth places and going into this world championships, I'd like a bronze medal or better."