Daniel Wiffen targets world record after reaching 1500 Freestyle final

Daniel Wiffen will compete in Sunday’s 1500m Freestyle final after an impressive heat swim of 14:43.50 at the World Aquatics Championships

BIG AMBITIONS: Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen has reached the 1500 Freestyle final. File pic: INPHO/Andrea Masini

The penultimate day of racing at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan saw Daniel Wiffen qualify for the 1500m Freestyle final, and Conor Ferguson and Mona McSharry advance to the semi-finals of the 50m Backstroke and 50m Breaststroke respectively.

Daniel Wiffen will compete in Sunday’s 1500m Freestyle final after an impressive heat swim of 14:43.50. Wiffen led for much of the race with the USA’s Bobby Finke (14:43.06) by his side. Finke took over the lead at the 1000m mark and the pair were separated in the end by only .44. The duo secured the centre lines for the final with the two fastest preliminary times. 800m Freestyle World Champion Ahmed Hafnaoui (Tunisia) was the next fastest qualifier winning the third heat in 14:49.53.