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Wiffen Sets New Standard in the 1500m in Stockholm

ByEmma Porter |

Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen has smashed a second Irish Senior Record on his way to 1500m Freestyle Gold at the Stockholm Swim Open in Sweden, having set a new 400m Freestyle Irish standard yesterday.

The Loughborough based swimmer swam a blistering 14:34.91 in this evening’s Final, knocking over 15 seconds off the Irish Record of 14:51.79, which won him Silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The time is the fastest in the World this season, with Germany’s Florian Wellbrock now ranked second in 14:40.18.

The time makes Wiffen the fourth fastest man in the World ever in the event; just outside the European Record of 14:33.10 and World Record of 14:31.01, it also makes the Tokyo Olympian the second fastest European ever.

A delighted Wiffen commented “It was a great swim, I was expecting to be pretty fast, I was hoping for sub 14:40 and I know I did say last week (at the Irish Open Championships) I was going to have a go at the World Record, but I didn’t really believe it, but I guess it nearly came true. I’m very happy with the time and I guess we’ll have to see what happens on Sunday in the 800m (Freestyle)”

In winning, Wiffen held off Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist in the event, Mykhaylo Romanchuk of Ukraine in 14:40.21.

During today’s swim, Wiffen also equalled his 800m Freestyle Irish Record in 7:46.32. The 22-year-old returns to the pool on Sunday to swim that event.

Yesterday, the 22-year-old posted the second fastest time in the World this season, clocking 3:44.35 in the 400m Freestyle, to break his own 2022 Irish Record of 3:46.22.

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