image source, ©INPHO/Giorgio Perottino
Daniel Wiffen finishes 7th in the world 400m freestyle finals
Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen placed seventh in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.
The Magherarin swimmer was fourth in the early stages of the race but struggled with the pace.
He finished in a time of 3 minutes, 36.65 seconds, almost four seconds behind the winner, Woo Min Kim of South Korea.
Wiffen’s stronger events will be held later in the championships, starting with the 800 meters on Tuesday.
In the morning heat, Wiffen qualified fourth.
“I thought I could challenge for a podium. I was a little disappointed with my swim,” Wiffen said.
“I said I didn’t want to be fourth. In the end I ended up seventh, so maybe I didn’t get what I wanted, but hey, it was okay. To be honest, it was I can’t say much about it.”
Kim raced on a world record schedule for the 300 meters, but tired and was almost passed over for gold by Australia’s Elijah Winnington.
The final difference was just 0.15 seconds. Germany’s Lukas Martens won the bronze medal.
Wiffen added: “I was really focused on myself. My goal going into this match was just to do what I wanted to do, and I tried to go fast, but I think the price for that was on the back burner. “I will,” he added.
“So that’s it. I don’t have high hopes. I don’t have the speed for the 200m free and I’m going to lose the rest of the races.
“Going back to what I love, it’s just freestyle, so after the next 800m, I’ll take a day off. After this, I’ll try to recover, hit a solid 800m, and try to race. You have to be on the podium in that. ”
image source, ©INPHO/Giorgio Perottino
Ireland’s relay team failed to qualify for the Olympics
Irish women’s relay misses out on Olympic qualification
The Irish women’s 4x100m freestyle relay missed out on qualifying for Paris by three-hundredths of a second.
The quartet of Erin Riordan, Grace Davison, Maria Godden and Victoria Catterson finished 10th overall in the morning heat with a time of 3:43.95.
However, Ireland’s time of 3 minutes 41.75 seconds, which featured Riordan and Catterson as well as Mona McSharry and Daniel Hill at last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka, would keep them within the top 16 for Olympic qualification. It was fast enough.
They waited anxiously to learn the fate of the Olympics.
The only country that could leave Ireland and take Paris’ place was Slovenia.
The Slovenian quartet finished last in the final, but with a time of 3 minutes 41.72 seconds, they earned the 16th and final Olympic spot.