The morning that Irish swimming star Daniel Wiffen won his country’s first-ever men’s Olympic swimming gold medal started out in typical fashion. He woke up, ate breakfast, and went for a swim. But in the hours before his 800-m freestyle final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, butterflies—or something like it—started to set in.
“The only difference from a normal day is that I was like, sh-tting myself, honestly,” said Wiffen after his thrilling victory at La Défense Arena in Nanterre, France on Tuesday night. “I’ve never been this nervous.”
Wiffen fought off the jitters to hold on to victory, setting a new Olympic record in the event with a time of 7 minutes, 38.19 seconds. (Finally, there was some kind of record in the pool, whose shallow depth has been the subject of consternation for creating waves that may be slowing swimmers down). American Bobby Finke, the defending Olympic champ, made his typical charge in the last 50 m—Finke is known for his finishing speed—but Wiffen touched the wall first, barely: Finke finished with a time of 7 minutes, 38.75 seconds, just .56 seconds behind the winner.
To Wiffen, the stars were aligned for victory. His birthday, he noted after the race, is July 14—the same as Bastille Day. He noticed there was a storm outside the arena at 9 p.m,, a few minutes before the start of his race. “We’re renaming that storm ‘Storm Daniel,’” Wiffen told his coach.
Ireland is reveling in its Paris aquatic moment. Going into the men’s 800 free, the country has just three swimming gold medals in its history; they were all won by Michelle Smith at the 1996 Games. Irish officials and fans were already buzzing around town thanks to the bronze won on Monday by Mona McSharry, in the women’s 100-m breaststroke.
With Wiffen’s win, Paris should expect even more Irish energy these next few nights. A fair number of green-clad fans have descended upon Paris. “It’s as close as we’ll get to a home Games, outside of London,” says Trish Mayon, Ireland’s press attaché for swimming.
Team USA has done less celebrating than usual at these Games. After winning a gold in the men’s 4x100 freestyle relay on Saturday, and Torri Huske’s 100-m butterfly victory on Sunday, the Americans have gone without first place hardware the past two nights. Team USA won three silvers on Tuesday, as Regan Smith, the world-record holder in the 100-m backstroke, finished second to her rival Kaylee McKeown of Australia, who also set an Olympic record with a time of 57.33 seconds. “Other people's performances are completely out of my control,” said Smith after the race. “Kaylee is one of one. She is an absolutely incredible racer, and she knows what to do when it matters. But I’m really proud of myself.”
In the last race of the evening, Team Great Britain fended off the United States in the 4x200 freestyle relay. In a post-race press conference, Finke attributed the relative drought to the growth of the sport around the world, and the inevitable improvement in competition that results.
Plus, American swimming fans needn’t grow too anxious: Katie Ledecky races in the 1,500-m on Wednesday. She owns history’s 19 fastest times in that event.
Plus, Wiffen’s worth your cheers. Like overnight U.S. gymnastics sensation Stephen Nedoroscik, he’s a nerdy-looking athlete who wears glasses. Isn’t that enough to love the guy?
Your Guide to the Paris Olympics
Wiffen is known for exuding confidence, which is relatively rare for an Irish athlete, according to journalists at the race. UFC heel Conor McGregor aside.
“To me, he’s the most unique sports person in Ireland there’s ever been, because of the way he expresses himself,” says Michael Foley, a reporter at the Sunday Times of Ireland. “He’s very confident, very brash, not very Irish.”
Before Tuesday night, Wiffen’s claim to fame was may have been his role as an extra, along with his twin brother Nathan—also an elite swimmer—as an extra in the controversial “Red Wedding” episode of the HBO hit show Game of Thrones. (Many main characters were killed off in that episode, which aired in 2013). He’d be up for a House of the Dragon role, he says.
In swimming circles, his YouTube channel—in which he gives a behind-the-scenes look on what it takes to be an Olympic-level swimmer—even inspires his competitors. “Sometimes I use it to motivate me in practice,” says Finke.
Wiffen, who was born in Great Britain but grew up in Northern Ireland, in County Down, expects a warm welcome once he returns home. “I'm sure it's gonna be massive,” said Wiffen, when asked about the potential reaction to his win. “I remember last Olympics, when the rowing boys pulled up with their gold, it was crazy. I mean, we'll see what happens.” Though he’s scheduled to compete in the 1,500-m freestyle, whose heats begin on Aug. 3—“I’m sure there’s going to be fireworks,” he promises— and the 10K open-water marathon swim on Aug. 9, he said he’d allow himself to celebrate tonight.
“Half the Irish team is still going to be waiting for me when I get back [to the Olympic village],” says Wiffen. “The dining hall has some great chocolate muffins. That’s what I’ll be having.”
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