‘Back-to-back world titles would top Olympic gold’

Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen thinks his gold medal from Paris would mean more to him than winning back-to-back World Championship titles.

Wiffen, a swimmer for Team Ireland, won a historic gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle at the Paris Olympics and won a stunning 200-meter victory at the World Championships in 2024.

The 23-year-old also won a bronze medal at the Games in the 1500-meter race.

In preparation for the 2014 World Championships in Singapore, Wiffen stated, “Everyone says the hardest thing to do is to win a World Championships after an Olympics,” and he is up for the challenge.

Wiffen became the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win Olympic gold in 36 years when he won the gold medal in Paris.

When he travels to the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, which will take place from July 11 through August 3, he will attempt to replicate that form.

Wiffen claims that he wants to continue his successful legacy and that this will motivate him as he enters the Worlds after a stellar 2024.

Everyone watches the Olympics, in my opinion. If you can win consecutively over the course of an Olympics, that is more significant than just winning. “, he added.

“It turns to being how many times you can win before you lose.” Then you reach the point where you continue to strive for excellence.

You’re attempting to grow bigger, and you’re bringing the question “what will happen if I do keep winning?” or “what occurs if I lose?” ‘.

After spending a number of years studying and swimming at Loughborough University, Wiffen will relocate his training base back to Ireland.

As he prepares for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, he will divide his time between Dublin and America, where his twin Nathan will live later in the year.

Wiffen claims he is unsure about who he will collaborate with in the coming years of his career and that the decision will also mean the end of his long-running partnership with coach Andi Manley.

His current focus will be on the World Championships, where he will compete in the 400-meter freestyle in addition to the longer-distance 800 and 1500 meters.

Before winning his two titles, Wiffen admitted that it “sparked something in me” when he placed seventh in the 400-meter final in Doha.

I want to win, not come in seventh place. I’m re-inputting it because my goal is to finish in seventh place.

We’ll see how it turns out. I’m hoping for a medal in it. I’ve been swimming it for a year, so it will be challenging, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

He added that although the 400m would serve as a “warm-up” for the longer events, he is still aiming for a podium finish.

Because I try to warm up after 400 meters, this will start to sound strange. We’re talking about attempting to get that swim out before the 800-meter, despite my desire for a medal in it.