Daniel Wiffen Wins Gold in 1500m Freestyle at Irish Championships

Daniel Wiffen dominated the Irish Open Swimming Championships, winning gold in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events, and securing his place at the upcoming World Swimming Championships in Singapore, where he is the defending champion in the 800m and 1500m. Despite his victories, Wiffen narrowly missed breaking the 1500m world record, a key goal he has stated remains his 'childhood dream,' finishing with a time of 14:42.71—short of Bobby Finke’s record. He also expressed disappointment with his 800m time, which was three seconds outside his own European and Olympic record. Wiffen plans to intensify his training ahead of Singapore, particularly focusing on achieving the 1500m world record. Other notable performances at the championships included national records for John Shortt in the 200m backstroke and Mona McSharry in the 100m breaststroke, both qualifying for the World Championships. The event also saw strong swims from Tom Fannon and Ellen Walshe, further boosting Ireland's roster for international competition.