'Happy birthday mum!': Daniel Wiffen gives parent perfect present with new Irish record

Daniel Wiffen of Ireland: Broke the national record on the big stage. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Sportsfile

Daniel Wiffen couldn’t quite match Mona McSharry’s achievement in making an Olympic final but the 800m freestyler still managed to end the day on a high for the Irish swim team with a sensational effort in his heat.

The Loughborough University student produced a strong last 50m to win his heat at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre with a national record time of 7:51.65 despite a draw that left him in an outside lane.