Wiffen wants more world titles and unbeaten run

BBC News

26-07-2025

Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen says he hopes that defending his world titles will mark the start of an unbeaten run during the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.Magheralin swimmer Wiffen enjoyed a memorable 2024, winning 800m freestyle gold for Team Ireland at the Paris Games after his World Championship double in February.He will defend his 1500m and 800m freestyle world titles in Singapore, and will also look to challenge in the 400m.The 24-year-old says the prospect of remaining undefeated until the next Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 has given him a new focus."For me, it is about trying to win again and that motivation to stay undefeated going into LA," Wiffen said.Wiffen took some time out of the pool after his Olympic success and returned to competition at the Irish Championships in April, where he set the fastest time of the year in the 800m freestyle.He will first race at the Worlds in Singapore in the 400m freestyle heats on Sunday (03:20 BST). Should he advance, the 400m final is at 19:00 BST. He will also compete in the 800m and 1500m heats on Tuesday and Saturday. Wiffen said it has "been amazing" being the reigning Olympic and World champion, but added his focus shifted to future goals pretty quickly after the Games in Paris."I looked back at the races in Paris, and looked at what has changed this year and what we are doing differently."Moving on from that, you look and what is next and that was pretty easy for me."Ellie McCartney and Ellen Walsh are also in action on Sunday in the 200m individual medley, while Shane Ryan goes in the 50m butterfly and Eoin Corby swims in the 50m breastsroke.Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry and Larne's Danielle Hill will be in action later in the championships.
'Gold is what we swim for'
Wiffen is not the only Olympic champion from Northern Ireland competing in Singapore, with Jack McMillan competing for Great Britain in the 4x200m relay.McMillan helped Team GB win gold in Paris by swimming in the heats of the relay and he is now targeting a world medal to add to his collection."That's why we go to these competitions, to do that," McMillan told BBC Sport NI."It's the ultimate goal, but it's about being level headed so we don't get ahead of ourselves. When it comes to that moment we need to be prepared for it, so it's just trying to prepare ourselves for that moment."That would obviously be great and it's what we swim for. Why we're competitive is for those things."Like Wiffen, McMillan also took some time away from the pool after the Paris Games. The 25-year-old heads to the World Championships set to fulfil a similar role for Team GB as he did at the Olympics. McMillan swam in the heats in the relay as GB set the fastest time, but sat out the final as Matt Richards and Duncan Scott returned to the team. However, his performance in the heats was enough to secure a gold medal along with his team-mates.McMillan says it is important to peak at the right time of year and his return to the pool has been geared towards performing at the Worlds."It's only really two times you are at your best and it's where you need to peak," he added. "We are putting all this effort and training in for like a minute and 40-odd seconds of racing, twice a year. So it's quite a lot of sacrifice and training for one moment, you could say. "When you do get the result at the end of it, it shows that all the hard work and sacrifice paid off at the end of it."