Daniel Wiffen made history as he claimed Ireland’s first Olympic gold medal of
the Paris Games with a stunning victory in the men’s 800m freestyle final.
Wiffen became Ireland’s first male medallist in the pool and third overall after Michelle Smith and Mona McSharry, who only made it onto the list on Monday with bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke.
Although Leeds-born Wiffen was trailing Gregorio Paltrineri with 50m left, he overhauled the Italian then held off a late surge from Bobby Finke of the United States to take top spot by 0.56 seconds.
While Finke took silver and Paltrineri bronze, Wiffen, who won the world title at the distance in February, was celebrating an Olympic record-winning time of seven minutes and 38.19 seconds.
Tokyo 2020 marked the return of the men’s event for the first time since 1904 and Wiffen missed out on the final, but he laid down a marker in Paris with the fastest qualifying time in Monday’s heats.
He first hit the front just before the halfway stage and while he ceded control to Paltrineri, the 23-year-old was just 0.1 secs adrift and he had plenty left in the tank to mount a final charge. Finke did too but Wiffen’s management of the race was paced perfectly and he had just enough to hold off the American.
“I don’t think a lot of people actually believed me that I was going to do it tonight but yeah it was incredible,” Wiffen said. “I’ve done it – that’s all I want to say!
Wiffen was visibly emotional after setting a new Olympic record-winning time
“I was so nervous, that’s the most nervous I’ve ever been for a race but do you know what calmed me down – I heard my brother shout for me as soon as I walked out. I heard none of the crowd – just him, and that’s what calmed me down, and really levelled my head.
“I’m not going to lie, there’s this whole saying going around that I’m getting ‘Finked’ – I’m glad to say I haven’t been ‘Finked” so obviously pretty happy to get my hand on the wall first.”
Ireland pays tribute to ‘history-maker’ Wiffen
Wiffen becomes the first gold medallist from Northern Ireland for 36 years and Ireland’s first-ever male swimming gold medallist.
The last athletes from Northern Ireland to win Olympic gold were Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood, who were part of the winning Team GB Hockey team at Seoul in 1988, while Wiffen is the first individual gold medallist from Northern Ireland since Mary Peters triumphed for GB in the pentathlon at Munich in 1972.
Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly congratulated the swimming hero.
“This is truly a momentous occasion for Daniel and for local sport,” they said in a joint statement. “Not only has he secured NI’s first Olympic gold medal in 36 years, it is also the first medal of the Games for our athletes and he set a new Olympic record. It was a fantastic performance by the @TeamIreland swimmer.”
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