‘Thank you for the support' – Wiffen makes difficult career decision after World Championship derailed by appendicitis
The Olympic gold medalist has chosen to withdraw as he continues to recover from appendicitis which he had in June.
The condition impacted his performance in Wednesday's final of the 800m, in which the
And in a statement through
Wiffen said: "Just to let everyone know, I have medically withdrawn from the World Championships in Singapore due to the appendicitis that I suffered from in June.
"Thank you for all the support in last night's final.
Read More on Daniel Wiffen
"I wasn't physically at my best, but I will be working towards getting back to full fitness and winning shape soon."
The Magheralin native was on world
record
pace 100m into yesterday's final as he led the pack for the first 300m.
He was then quickly caught by Ahmed Jaouadi who went onto win the
race
and set a third best-ever time in this disciple of 7:36.88.
In last year's 800m freestyle, Wiffen made
history
by becoming the
Most read in Sport
He won gold in this event last year and did so with a time of 7:40.94, a time which would have missed out on a podium place in this year's high-speed race.
Speaking after the final, the 24-year-old said: "I know last time I spoke, I didn't think I was going to make the final but we got in there, we got eighth place, last in the final.
Daniel Wiffen reveals 'crazy' interaction with fans after Olympic gold medal
"Obviously, not my best showing, from last year winning the Olympics to coming eighth in the final.
"But honestly, I'm happy to be in the final, still progressing.
"Still getting those nerves up.
"That's what sport's about, trying to get myself comfortable and I was definitely comfortable in that race.
"I'm pretty sure I was leading at one point, and then I got to the 400 and then my stomach was in pieces.
"So, not my best showing but I'm happy to be in the final, happy to represent Ireland again in the final."
1
Daniel Wiffen has withdrawn from the World Aquatics Swimming Championships
Credit: Ian MacNicol/Sportsfile
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Extra.ie
40 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
Costigan focused on job at hand ahead of World Cup
One year ago, Amee-Leigh Costigan was in Paris representing Ireland at the Olympics in women's rugby 7's. 12 months on and Costigan is on the cusp of representing Ireland again on a world stage at the women's Rugby World Cup in England. Not every athlete gets a chance to be an Olympian playing in a World Cup and to complete all that in just over a year is some feat for the Tipperary woman. And now heading into the World Cup warm-up match against Scotland in Cork, Amee-Leigh Costigan spoke about the impact becoming an Olympian had on her as a rugby player. Amee-Leigh Costigan at the Olympics for Team Ireland. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile 'It's probably two similar mindsets for me. They're two huge pinnacle occasions in both sports and I am so grateful to be able to say that last summer, I got to go to the Olympics and this summer I'm preparing to put my hand up for a selection for a World Cup. 'The Olympics inspired me to be a better player, in every game that I play, ever session that I play. I think it's had a good effect on my mindset around how I want to be like the best version of myself on pitch and off pitch.' Vicky Elmes Kinlan, left, and Amee-Leigh Costigan of Ireland dejected after their side's loss against Scotland. Pic: Paul Devlin/Sportsfile This Scotland game offers Ireland a chance to get one back after their disappointing defeat in the Six Nations. Ireland were gutted with their performance in Edinburgh in April where, even with the squad ravaged by injury, they performed well below their standards and loss to a try with the last play of the game. Scotland have already played a game this summer, losing to Italy 34-29 in Viadana last week and have made six changes for this match as they're looking to finish their warm-up games on a high. Meanwhile these games are ultimately in place to help Ireland prepare for the World Cup after a long nine-week training camp, these games against Scotland and Canada next week are the last chance for players to put up their hands and get a spot in the squad before their World Cup opener against Japan in just over three weeks' time. Ireland player celebrate at the final whistle of their WXV1 Pool match against New Zealand. Pic: Rich Lam / World Rugby via Sportsfile Ireland are a bit of an unknown entity heading into this World Cup. From not qualifying for the last one in 2021 Ireland have risen rapidly back up to the top end of the World Rankings and have a win over defending World Cup champions New Zealand last year. While some from the outside would say Ireland have a free hit next month, word from both coach and players would say otherwise. Head Coach Scott Bemand and lock Edel McMahon both have stated the aim of reaching the final four and a match in London. Costigan as one of the leaders of this Ireland team opened up about a speech she gave the group at the beginning of the training block ahead of the World Cup, citing the Olympics and the challenges the event offers to athletes as humans. Amee-Leigh Costigan. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile 'At the start of the very first block I stood up and spoke about what that Olympics experience felt like because it is going into a World Cup prep and that occasion would be just as big. 'So, I voiced my opinions on it and how I just looked at trying to be myself as much as possible and not to change too many things because you come out of it the exact same person you came into it. Yes, you get a title of being an Olympian, but at the end of the day I'm still Leigh. Like I could still walk out the door as Leigh, a normal person, a rugby player for my country. I think that's probably the message I put across.' Amee Leigh Costigan at the Olympics. Pic: Hugo Pfeiffer/Sportsfile And while Costigan an Ireland are out there to do a job, the winger was also quick to highlight that the Ireland players need to also soak the experience of being in the World Cup. 'Also, the other message was around how big of an occasion it is and to embrace it. Don't let it overwhelm you because of the huge occasion it is because it can be like it can be very, very overwhelming.' Amee-Leigh Costigan celebrates scoring a try. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady 'I remember going into the village and we had the entire day to just walk in there and get our bearings, understand everything and I think that'll be really good when the squad heads over to England that we will have time to digest it all then digest this feeling of getting to the World Cup and how it actually feels and switching on. 'We're not there just to show up, but we really want to put in a performance. We want to make Ireland proud.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Cathal Dennehy: If women's sport isn't based on biology it becomes an unwinnable race
In the end, it comes down to a simple question: What is a woman? Across the world, and probably within your social circle, there are various answers to that. Many see it as a straightforward, biological term, that being a woman is the preserve of those with XX chromosomes and female reproductive organs. For others, it's broader, the definition based more on identity – not so much the physical composition of a body, but what someone feels and believes in their mind. This is a discussion that can rarely be had without toxicity, or political allegiances, making their presence felt. If you want an easy way to end a conversation, then ask a co-worker what a woman is and how their definition should be applied and implemented – from changing rooms to prisons to the playing fields of sport. Many won't answer due to an understandable fear of causing offence, or not wanting to be grouped with radicals on the far left or right of this topic, who so often back their beliefs with unnecessary nastiness. For several decades, sport has been struggling with this question – unable to work out its answer but becoming ever more aware of the need to do so. But the governing bodies that sat on their hands, unwilling to enter such difficult waters, have recently been left with no choice but to get their policies in order and choose what they will prioritise in women's sport: inclusion or fairness? Because both can't coexist at once – at least not fully. On Wednesday, World Athletics announced that its council had approved new regulations concerning eligibility for the female category that will come into effect next month. 'All athletes wishing to compete in the female category at the World Championships are required to undergo a once-in-a-lifetime test for the SRY gene – a reliable proxy for determining biological sex,' it stated. 'This is to be conducted via a cheek swab or blood test, whichever is more convenient.' As its president, Sebastian Coe, put it: 'We are saying, at elite level, for you to compete in the female category, you have to be biologically female … gender cannot trump biology.' National federations will oversee the testing protocol, with World Athletics contributing $100 towards the cost of testing each athlete ahead of next month's World Championships in Tokyo. Most in athletics welcomed the news. But not all. Nikki Hiltz, a world-class US 1500m athlete who was born female and competes in the women's category but who identifies as non-binary, posted on Instagram that it was 'INSANE'. 'My biggest concern is if these are now the rules at the top of our sport, how will they trickle down to the lower levels?' they wrote. 'How will this affect women in the NCAA? Girls in high school? Young athletes in track and field youth programs? Will their tests also be a 'harmless' cheek swab or something far more invasive?' Such concerns are understandable, given the history in this sphere. In the 1950s, eligibility for the female category was sometimes based on visual inspections, or so-called 'nude parades', which were not only humiliating but also unreliable. That was replaced by less invasive methods like basic chromosome screening in 1968. Mandatory sex testing was abolished in 1999 but now it's back, and this is a very different time, with a one-off cheek swab now all that's required to identify athletes who are biologically male. In an editorial for the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports last year, sports scientist Ross Tucker and a horde of other experts in this field called for such screening, stating that 'an early, cohort-wide approach that treats all participants equally is overwhelmingly preferable to the current approach that invites targeted testing based on allegation, suspicion, subjective assessments, and bias.' In May, World Boxing – the new global federation that governs the sport at Olympic level – announced it will implement mandatory sex testing at its competitions to 'ensure the safety of all participants and deliver a competitive level playing field for men and women,' with boxers required to undergo a PCR genetic test to determine their sex at birth and check for a Y chromosome. Athletics and boxing have drawn a clear, definitive line with these policies and other sports will likely follow suit. Of course, both had huge incentives to get their house in order when it comes to eligibility for the female category, with huge controversies playing out on the Olympic stage in the last decade concerning athletes who reportedly had a difference in sex development (DSD). Those with 46 XY DSD are sometimes labelled female at birth, especially in underdeveloped nations, due to a lack of external male genitalia, but their biology is male, with internal testes flooding their system with testosterone during puberty, conferring huge performance benefits in sport. Still, the difference between the sexes is clear long before puberty. On average, males run faster than females at every age, with a study of elite US youth athletes finding a 5% performance difference in running events from ages 7-12, which widens significantly post-puberty, hitting 12% at age 18. There is, of course, a key difference between transgender and DSD athletes in women's sport. The latter are often labelled female at birth and on their passports and grow up as women, which is different to those labelled male at birth who feel that does not match their gender identity and wish to transition. But ultimately, sport will probably have to treat them the same. Because both reap long-lasting performance benefits from male biology. The key question for authorities is not so much about transgender or DSD athletes specifically. If we accept that you need to clear a higher bar to compete in women's sport than simply declaring yourself a woman, the question is what biological parameters should be met before you can do so? Because women's sport is, after all, a protected category, and for both safety and fairness it should be protected. We know the most up-to-date evidence shows the performance advantages of being born male and going through male puberty are not eradicated, only reduced, by treatments to lower testosterone. We also know the majority of those in sport, and society, believe women's sport should be protected. Last year, the BBC surveyed high-level competitors across 28 sports and of the 143 respondents, just 11 said they feel comfortable or very comfortable about transgender women competing in the female category, while 104 felt uncomfortable or very uncomfortable. Sport Ireland, in developing guidance for transgender and non-binary inclusion, surveyed several thousand people in sport and across society on this topic. One of the key findings: 'While many from the LGBTI+ community, transgender and non-binary people and their families, are supportive of inclusion through self-identification, this view is not shared by the vast majority of people working and taking part in sport who favoured protection of a female category (as assigned at birth).' Many national governing bodies have followed the lead of global authorities in this sphere, and while there are countless approaches taken to govern access to the female category, the one-time cheek swab seems the most sensible. Because if women's sport isn't based on biology, then the net result, as we've seen many times in the past, is natal females ending up in a race – or a fight – that they simply cannot win.
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Amee-Leigh Costigan: 'We really want to put in performances and we want to make Ireland proud'
Wednesday afternoon, just three days out from a long-anticipated warm-up with Scotland in Cork. A World Cup, Ireland's first in eight long years, is just over the horizon and yet Amee-Leigh Costigan is casting her mind back 12 months. It's a year to the day as she talks since the Olympic medal matches at the women's sevens in Stade de France. Since the USA edged Australia to bronze and New Zealand had seven points to spare on Canada in the final. All of it in front of a raucous full house. Paris was something to behold last summer. You can't adequately explain the frisson that permeates a host Olympic city until you've experienced it and Costigan was part of a rugby programme that more or less kicked things off before even the opening ceremony. 'I saw the American girls and Canadian girls resharing their medal videos and stuff, so yeah, one year ago,' said Costigan. Wistful? There was a touch of it. The Tipperary winger endured the needle for the obligatory Olympic tattoo after a campaign that saw the Irish team lose a quarter-final by 33 points to the Aussies before another pair of defeats fed into an eventual eighth place finish. If that wasn't the goal that they had set for themselves pre-Paris then Costigan, one of half-a-dozen players in the current XVs squad aiming for the World Cup after involvement in the Games last summer, is confident that the experience will stand to her. 'Yeah, it's probably a similar mindset for me, that they are two huge pinnacle occasions in both sports, and I am so grateful to be able to say that last summer I got to go to the Olympics and this summer I'm preparing to put my hand up for selection for a World Cup. 'So it really is a great place to be. The Olympics inspired me to become a better player. So does every game that I play, every session that I play, and it's had a good effect on my mindset around how I want to be the best version of myself on-pitch and off-pitch.' Now 30 years of age, and with well over a decade of experience across both forms of the game behind her, Costigan spoke of the goosebumps she was still feeling a year on from her part in the biggest show on earth. The Clanwilliam RFC graduate stood up before the XVs group when they assembled for pre-season last month and spoke about the experience, and how it equated in magnitude to what they will absorb in the form of a World Cup in England. Yes, she can now call herself an Olympian but she is still Leigh, still the same person, so the point made was that her teammates should embrace this without letting the enormity of the hoopla wash over them like a wave, or change them as a person. 'When the squad heads over to England we will have time to digest this feeling of getting to the World Cup and how it actually feels, but then switching on, knowing we're not there just to show up. We really want to put in performances and we want to make Ireland proud.' That a World Cup is 'big' is stating the obvious. This one is all the grander for the fact that Ireland aren't alone in redirecting a swathe of their sevens players to the XV format for the year that is in it. The Black Ferns, England, France: they've all done the same. But Scotland, first. This first warm-up game takes Scott Bemand's side back to Cork for the first time since they faced England there during the Six Nations. That was a game that showed the progress made, the potential still to be unlocked and the distance yet to travel. The visitors won 49-5, after all, and yet the buzz when Costigan went over after 24 minutes to give Ireland the lead on the back of a brilliant start was inescapable with the winger's own exuberance in the celebration helping to ignite it all. 'At the time it was just, 'let's get this crowd going'. That's probably why I celebrated so hard. I don't usually celebrate that hard. But it just came off so well and I was like, 'you know what it deserves it'' and the crowd here deserves something to be screaming and roaring about'. 'The energy down there that we felt was something else. It really felt like an extra player. Coming into this weekend, I hope they give us good cheers if we win a turnover, win a scrum, score tries, whatever it is. They're just as part of the game as we are.' Let the odyssey begin. Another one.
