Daniel Wiffen Talks Singapore Agony & New Horizons With Eyes On Lublin Prize
It’s been a year of twists and turns for Daniel Wiffen who’s had appendicitis and subsequent surgery and moved coaches and continents.
Amidst all that, the Irishman was forced to withdraw from the World Championships ahead of his 1500 free defence because of his medical condition, something which “kind of killed me inside.”
Since then he’s undergone successful surgery and moved to California to train at Cal-Berkeley and now he’s on the brink of returning to international waters at the European Short Course Championships in Lublin, Poland.
Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
It comes two years after he won the 400-800-1500 treble at the 2023 edition in Otopeni, Romania. That also featured a world record in the 800 when he took almost three seconds off Grant Hackett’s standard that had stood for 15 years.
Not that he’s expecting to replicate his performances of two years ago but he’s happy to be feeling good and looking forward to the meet, which runs from 2-7 December, given his experiences earlier on in the year.
In an interview with Swimming World, Wiffen said: “I’m not going to say I’m going to do the same thing I did in 2023. I don’t know what’s going to happen because this is my first race of the season so the 400 heats will be my warm-up I guess for how I’m going to race the rest of the meet.
“But I’d like to come away with at least one gold medal, I think. That’s a good goal.”
Singapore Pain & Dying Inside
It had all looked so promising. Wiffen was on record-breaking form at the Mare Nostrum and was training the best he ever had, recalling one set where he was doing metronomic 3:50s for 400 long course.
A week later he had a sore stomach which was diagnosed as appendicitis but he ploughed on knowing that surgery would’ve ruled him out of Singapore.
He went to Malaysia three weeks before worlds to continue his build-up and to taper in the same time zone in which he’d be competing but the warning signs were there in the 400 where he finished 16th in 3:47.57. That was around five seconds slower than he’d hoped for but he put it down to not having fuelled properly ahead of the race and pushed any thoughts about appendicitis to one side.
Daniel Wiffen: photo courtesy: G.Perottino/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
The 800 was up next but when he could only book the eighth and final 7:46.36, there was no denying something was wrong with the defence of his title set for the following evening.
He said: “My plan was to treat the final as a real race even though I had something that affected me. I wanted to go in with a clean head and really focus. I felt really good down the first 300m and then I blew up: my stomach felt like it was going to explode. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had in my life – I’ve not broken a bone but I think that’s what it’d feel like. I had to go straight to the doctor after because I thought I was going to explode.”
The decision was taken that Wiffen would withdraw from the competition with the 1500 remaining. While being the obvious and correct choice, it was difficult for Wiffen.
“I was 1500 world champion and I didn’t want to lose my world title,” he said. “I personally think I’m the best person in the 800 and 1500 and I think I can be one of the best ever to do it if I continue at the progress I’m going at.
“I think me withdrawing kind of killed me inside. I think if I didn’t turn up at the World Championships it wouldn’t have relit the fire I needed after the Olympics because I didn’t start back training until January. By the time I came back I was probably in this limbo phase – I needed to find a new training group after Loughborough, I had to get degree done. All that was in my head so I hadn’t been fully focused on trying to be world champion again.
“But I thought that was the year I could break the long course world record.”
A Tribute To Manley Amid Fresh Start
Wiffen had his appendix out in early September and was back in the water after seven days although it took time to get back into the gym, not great for a swimmer and their position, rotation and power.
He moved to Cal-Berkeley where he trains under coach Noah Yanchulis in a group that includes brother Nathan, Lucas Henveaux, Ryan Erisman and Claire Weinstein.
It marks a new start for Wiffen who spent five years with Andi Manley at Loughborough. During that time, he became Olympic and world champion on top of winning an historic Commonwealth silver and sweeping all before him at Otopeni.
Wiffen has no hesitation in attributing his success to Manley.
“My relationship with Andi is amazing. We had the best thing going. I know that Andi was my coach for that time period; if I would have had another coach I would never have succeeded the way I did.
“The same thing with Loughborough: that programme was built for me. When I went there I arrived with Felix Auboeck, the best training partner in the world, a world champion. I arrived with a PB of 15:39. I just kept getting better because this training group kept pushing me and Andi kept pushing me. I am always thankful for my time at Loughborough but there was need for a change after Singapore, just try to change something up, a change of environment going into LA.”
Otopeni Launchpad
Wiffen won his first senior international titles in Otopeni in the 400 (3:35.47), 800 (7:20.46 WR) and the 1500 (14:09.11).
It’s not the 800 world record that’s his stand-out memory, however, but the 400.
Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK
“It’s probably one of the best races I’ve ever put together,” he said. “I was out with Danas Rapsys and I took him out at 200 and I made a big gap of two body lengths on everybody in the field. That last 100m I was buzzing because it was my first ever international win. I’ll remember that feeling for the rest of my life.”
He describes Otopeni as one of the most significant points of his career, coming a few months after two fourth places at the Fukuoka worlds.
It kickstarted a season that would see him go on to win double gold at the Doha worlds before Olympic gold and bronze at Paris 2024.
“I was in amazing shape. I don’t think I’ve ever produced three swims in a row like that. I think my 1500 was my weakest – I’m still annoyed I didn’t break the world record in that. I’ll get my vengeance in that – maybe next week. Going on to win the world championships and then the Olympics – it was a perfect season in the 800, the 1500 could have been perfect if I’d got a gold medal at the Olympics.”