Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen won gold in the 800-meter freestyle and bronze in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics but was rushed to the hospital before the closing ceremony due to an illness. His condition, a 'bug', prevented him from serving as Ireland's flagbearer, a role he expressed disappointment in missing. Wiffen, who finished 18th in the men’s 10-kilometer open water event in the Seine River, described the race as one of the worst experiences of his life due to the water's pollution, which has raised concerns among athletes. Paris had invested $1.5 billion to clean the Seine, but reports of contamination persisted, leading to athletes falling ill after competing. Despite his challenges, Wiffen reflected on achieving his Olympic dreams and thanked his support team for their encouragement. He announced his retirement from open water swimming following this experience.