S'pore's Gan Ching Hwee sets new 1,500m freestyle national record to reach World Championships final
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Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Irish swimming's trailblazer Daniel Wiffen wants a world record
SINGAPORE – The dejection on Daniel Wiffen's face was unmistakable as the defending champion touched the wall fifth in the second heat of the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) men's 800m freestyle on July 18. His time of 7min 46.36sec was almost five seconds behind Tunisia's Ahmed Jaouadi, who won in 7:41.58. This was a far cry from the 2024 final in which he cruised to gold by two seconds. After initial despair, there was some relief as the 24-year-old Irishman squeezed into the July 29 final as the eighth-ranked qualifier overall. A month before the meet, he was hit by appendicitis but chose to treat it with antibiotics, putting off surgery until after the championships. He told The Straits Times at the WCH Arena: 'I don't feel the appendicitis, but I have to get it out after this competition. I held off the surgery until after the world champs because I wanted to give a good crack at defending both my (800m and 1,500m freestyle) titles. I hope it's not affecting me anymore... it certainly looks like it is, but I don't know. 'That was probably one of the worst swims I've done in a long time. But whatever we are overcoming right now, we are going to come back stronger.' Born in England, the lanky and bubbly Irishman's brush with fame began at a young age. As an 11-year-old, despite not being allowed to watch the Game of Thrones, he managed to snag a role as an extra in the popular TV drama alongside his twin brother Nathan in the famous Red Wedding scene. His sister Elizabeth had a more prominent role as Neyela Frey. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong Singapore 7, including child and firefighter, taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore Singapore ICA inspector obtained bribes in the form of sex acts from 6 foreign men in exchange for his help Singapore Doctor who forged certificates for aesthetic procedures gets 4 months' jail Singapore 12 motorists nabbed for providing illegal private-hire services: LTA His swimming journey with his brother began when they joined local Water Babies sessions at just three months old and started competing at age six – Daniel and Nathan specialised in freestyle and backstroke respectively. By 13, he made the national team. Despite setting 800m and 1,500m freestyle national records, he missed both finals at his first Olympics in Tokyo 2020, and finished fourth in both events at the 2023 world championships. But he went on to break the 1,500 free short course world record with a blistering 7:20.46 later that year at the European Championships. He then claimed double gold at the WCH 2024 before going on to become the first Irishman to win Olympic swimming medals with his 800m gold in Olympic record time (7:38.19) and 1,500m bronze at Paris 2024. 'I was telling people for five years I was going to be the Olympic champion in Paris and nobody believed me at the start, but as we got closer, everybody was like 'this guy is easily gonna win'', said Daniel, who has the words 'dream big' tattooed on his arm. Since his historic feats for Ireland, life has been 'very weird' for him as he gets stopped for photos, even when he was on holiday in Bali. But he has remained down-to-earth, donating his entire £25,000 (S$43,000) Olympic Medallist Fund to his former school, St. Patrick's Grammar School, to build a new gym, enhance its sporting facilities and provide new equipment. While all eyes are on the women's 400m and 800m freestyle showdowns between American legend Katie Ledecky and Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh, he feels the men's 800m is 'definitely more competitive'. Although he is not in his best condition here, it should not be long before he flashes his trademark two-hand W celebration, which stands for Wiffen and winning, again. Eyeing the world records held by Chinese swimmer Zhang Lin in the 800m (7:32.12) and American Bobby Finke in the 1,500m (14:30.67), he said: 'Breaking a world record is a different type of feeling because you're the fastest-ever, whereas at the Olympics there are like nine other men winning Olympic golds. 'Everyone says the hardest thing to do is to win a world championships after an Olympics, and I'm up for the challenge. I think winning back-to-back world championships is going to be better than winning the Olympics for me.'
CNA
3 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore's Gan Ching Hwee finishes seventh in 1,500m freestyle final at World Aquatics Champs
SINGAPORE: Singapore swimmer Gan Ching Hwee finished seventh in the women's 1,500m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships on Tuesday (Jul 29). At the World Aquatics Championships Arena in Kallang, Gan clocked a time of 16:03.51. Legendary American swimmer Katie Ledecky took gold (15:26:44), Italy's Simona Quadarella the silver (15:31.79) and Australia's Lani Pallister the bronze (15:41.18). Gan is the only Singapore swimmer to have made a final in this edition of the Championships. She is also the first Singaporean female swimmer to qualify for a final at the meet since Tao Li placed seventh in the 50m butterfly in 2007. The last Singaporean to progress to a Championships final was Teong Tzen Wei, who finished eighth in the 50m butterfly at the 2022 edition. Gan, who qualified for her first Championships final fourth overall, had obliterated her national record in the event's heats on Monday. She clocked a time of 16:01.29 to eclipse her previous national record of 16:10.13, which she set at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This meant she qualified ahead of France Olympic silver medallist Anastasiia Kirpichnikova and bronze medalist Isabel Gose, who did not make the final. According to Singapore Aquatics, Gan's 800m split time in the race on Monday - 8:29.93 - is also a new national record. It is more than two seconds faster than the 8:32.37 mark she set in the 800m freestyle heats at the Paris Olympics. While Gan had been pencilled in for the 200m freestyle heats earlier on Tuesday, she opted to pull out of the event to focus on the evening's race. Earlier in the meet, Gan broke Lynette Lim's 15-year national record in the women's 400m freestyle. She finished 13th overall in the heats, with Canada's Summer McIntosh winning the event.
Straits Times
4 hours ago
- Straits Times
IOC president Kirsty Coventry a ‘huge supporter' of Singapore
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox IOC president Kirsty Coventry (left) called on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam during her three-day visit to Singapore. SINGAPORE - International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry has pledged stronger cooperation with Singapore in her first visit to the Republic since she was elected to the top post on March 20. At a luncheon hosted by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) at Swissotel The Stamford on July 29, she met about 150 Singapore Olympians, youth Olympians and representatives from the national sports associations, partners and sponsors. Her predecessor Thomas Bach was also in attendance. In her speech, she said: 'I know that our partnership will only continue to get stronger. You have a huge supporter in me. My door is always open. 'As athletes, we strive to inspire the next generation. Thank you for the commitment to ensuring that sport remains an inspiration and a platform for young people to live out their dreams.' Coventry is in town for the World Aquatics Championships, which end on Aug 3. During her three-day visit, she also called on Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and attended the induction of the 2025 honorees to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, which included Singapore's Olympic champion Joseph Schooling. (From left) Singapore's Olympic champion Joseph Schooling, former IOC president Thomas Bach, IOC member Ng Ser Miang and IOC president Kirsty Coventry at a luncheon hosted by the Singapore National Olympic Council at Swissotel the Stamford on July 29. PHOTO: SNOC She also visited the Botanic Gardens, where a new orchid, Dendrobium Kirsty Coventry, was named in her honour, before she took part in a tree dedication ceremony at Gardens by the Bay. The 41-year-old, a former swimmer who won seven Olympic medals – including two golds – for Zimbabwe, is the first African and woman to lead the IOC. She is also a former sports administrator and politician. IOC president Kirsty Coventry is pictured with the Dendrobium Kirsty Coventry, a new orchid named in her honour, at the Botanic Gardens. PHOTO: SNOC She last visited Singapore in 2013, when she was a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission. Welcoming Coventry back to Singapore, SNOC president Grace Fu, said during the luncheon: 'Since then, your leadership and impact on global sport have continued to grow, and your presence here today reaffirms our shared commitment to the Olympic ideals. 'Your visit also marks a meaningful moment for our sporting community - a chance to reflect on our progress, and more importantly, where we are headed, together with the Olympic Movement. 'For the Singapore National Olympic Council, our athletes are – and will always be – at the heart of what we do.'
