Daniel Wiffen 11th at European Aquatics Championships

Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen on his way to finishing fifth in his heat. Picture: INPHO/Andrea Staccioli

Irish senior record holder Daniel Wiffen has finished 11th in the 800m freestyle at the LEN European Aquatics Championships in Budapest.

The 19-year-old finished fifth in his heat in a time of 7:55.02, which was the 11th fastest time in the field of 41 competitors.

The performance was not enough to advance to Saturday’s final but bodes well for what’s to come this summer from the Loughborough University swimmer.

Earlier, Limerick teenager Eoin Corby posted a time of 28.52 in the 50m Breaststroke heats, just under one second slower than the personal best of 27.76 that he set in this event at the Irish Winter Meet in Dublin last December.

It was the 19-year-old’s first appearance at the European Aquatics Championships, having made his senior international debut for Ireland at the European Short Course Championships in December 2019.

Corby, who trains at Swim Ireland’s National Centre Limerick, has been focusing on the 100m and 200m breaststroke, his efforts paying off last month at Irish National Team Trials when he swam 2.10.50 in the 200m – missing the Olympic Consideration Time needed to qualify for Tokyo 2021 by 0.15 seconds. Corby was also just 0.22 seconds away from the qualifying time in the 100m, clocking 1:00.15.

The qualification period for individual swimming events ends on June 27 and Corby is among 10 Irish swimmers who have not yet hit a FINA ‘A’ time, but are within 1.5% of a FINA ‘A’ time.

All 10 will be given one final opportunity to hit that time and earn consideration for the Olympic Games.

On Saturday in Budapest, National Centre Dublin’s Niamh Coyne competes in the 50m breaststroke heats and Ireland’s mixed 4x100m freestyle takes to the blocks, Max McCusker, Jordan Sloan, Erin Riordan and Victoria Catterson. This relay is not an Olympic event, but there is an Irish senior record (3:37.86) up for grabs and potentially a place in the final.

There are 17 teams entered in Saturday’s relay heats, with the eight fastest going through to Saturday night’s final.