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Daniel Wiffen made history as he claimed Ireland’s first Olympic gold medal of the Paris Games with a stunning victory in the men’s 800 metres freestyle final.
Wiffen became Ireland’s first male medallist in the pool and third overall after Michelle Smith and Mona McSharry, who only made it on to the list on Monday with bronze in the women’s 100m breaststroke.
Although Leeds-born Wiffen was trailing Gregorio Paltrineri with 50m left, he overhauled the Italian then held off a late surge from Bobby Finke of the United States to take top spot by 0.56 seconds.
While Finke took silver and Paltrineri bronze, Wiffen, who won the world title at the distance in February, was celebrating an Olympic record-winning time of seven minutes and 38.19 seconds.
Tokyo 2020 marked the return of the men’s event for the first time since 1904 and Wiffen missed out on the final but he laid down a marker in Paris with the fastest qualifying time in Monday’s heats.
He first hit the front just before the halfway stage and while he ceded control to Paltrineri, the 23-year-old was just 0.1 secs adrift and he had plenty left in the tank to mount a final charge.
So, too, did Finke but Wiffen’s management of the race was paced perfectly and he had just enough to hold off the American.
He said: “I don’t think a lot of people actually believed me that I was going to do it tonight but yeah it was incredible. I’ve done it – that’s all I want to say!
“I was so nervous, that’s the most nervous I’ve ever been for a race but do you know what calmed me down – I heard by brother shout for me as soon as I walked out. I heard none of the crowd – just him, and that’s what calmed me down, and really levelled my head.”
“I’m not going to lie, there’s this whole saying going around that I’m getting ‘Finked’ – I’m glad to say I haven’t been ‘Finked” so obviously pretty happy to get my hand on the wall first.”
