21-05-2025
Wiffen & Hill tune up for Worlds with wins in Barcelona
Daniel Wiffen and Danielle Hill both impressed in the Barcelona leg of the 2025 Mare Nostrum Swim Tour series on Wednesday, notching victories as they stepped up their preparations for July's World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
The Mare Nostrum competitions serve as key preparation for several Irish swimmers, offering valuable international experience against some of the best swimmers in the world.
Wiffen was first up on the blocks, competing in the 800m freestyle. The 23-year-old didn't take long to get the crowd on their feet, posting an impressive time of 7:45.17 to win gold and set a new Mare Nostrum Meet record, which had been held by Norway's Henrik Christiansen since 2019.
Wiffen returns to the water on Thursday when he competes in the 400m freestyle.
Shortly after Wiffen's win, Hill took to the pool for the 50m backstroke final. The Larne swimmer qualified as the fastest seed for the final with a time of 28.32 in the morning's heats.
Two-time Olympian Hill blazed through the water to claim Ireland's second gold of the evening in 27.85, just shy of her Irish senior record (27.64). She'll also be in action on Thursday to compete in the 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle.
Also competing on Wednesday evening were Singapore-bound Ellie McCartney - who swam in the 100m breaststroke (1:08.05) and 200 IM (2:14.94) - and Eoin Corby, racing in the 200m breaststroke (2:15.81).
European Under-23 representative Maria Godden featured this evening in the 50m Backstroke (29.33) and the 200m Backstroke (2:16.23).
Racing continues Thursday for the final day of the Barcelona leg before the team depart for Canet-en-Roussillon in France which is the final stop of the tour.
