Maurice Brosnan: Daniel Wiffen delivers famous night for Irish sport

The only time his steely poise cracked was on the podium. The tricolour was raised, the national anthem rang out, his lip began to twitch and his eyes blinked incessantly as if blinded by his own extraordinary stardom.

WIFFEN D'OR: Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen celebrates with his gold medal. Pic: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

For centuries human beings have scoured rivers, streams and other bodies of water in search of one particular chemical element.

Before Tuesday, no Irish man had enjoyed a successful expedition. Daniel Wiffen showed them where they had all gone wrong. He didn’t look for gold, he seized it.

Any sense of Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri edging him out was dashed in a sensational final 50 metres. His lead proved astoundingly fickle. In the end, American Bobby Finke touched the wall in second. 

They both held on to reach the podium, Wiffen raced atop it with a new Olympic record to boot.

The 23-year-old simulated the writing of his name for the latest inspired walkout and then cemented it in the pool. His is the ninth name engraved onto a historic list, a select few who have achieved a gold medal in Ireland’s century of Olympic participation.

Every move, every stroke, every bold declaration was aimed towards this day. Wiffen went beyond delivering, conquering in 7:38:19. The boy who talked the talk did in fact walk the walk.

Step-by-step he eyed the summit. From Leeds to the village of Magheralin to Loughbrough University to Paris La Défense Arena, where he ascended to the peak.

With the support of his family, in particular twin brother Nathan, the only voice he can hear in the entire crowd pre-race. An Irish sporting sensation at the pinnacle of a global sport. Imagine.

He never saw it any other way. After all, this is a swimmer who changed his sports psychologist because they made him go over the possibility of losing a race. He couldn’t contemplate such a prospect. 

When he found a new psychologist, they told him he didn’t need their help. What is the difference between confidence and arrogance? Performance. That is precisely what he did.

“Amazing. I am not going to lie, I did tell everyone already I was going to do it before,” he said afterwards. “It was just good to see it on paper.”

It was a night full of promise and delirium. From late afternoon on, the pool was full of dreamers. As the warmup clock counted down, a truly exceptional facility transformed into a bright phantasmagoria.

It was a stunning exhibition of light and sound, the only drawback being that there wasn’t a sell-out to see it. Once more, empty seats were apparent across the stand. Top tiers were full but prime positions lay barren. Such a scale is most likely reflective of the pricing, which opened at €85 for category D and rose to €690 for category A.

This failure to pack the place out did a disservice to the displays of the theatre and its generational athletes. Miracles are only sufficiently disseminated with witnesses to spread it. Mercifully, a strong Irish cohort were present for Wiffen’s coronation.

Beneath the screen that announced his new record sat a host of proud Irish swimmers including bronze medallist Mona McSharry. Their roars combined with the clatter of snapping seats as everyone rose to their feet during a dramatic crescendo.

This was a night for the creation of stars. A chance to watch the cosmic event that creates gold in the flesh. Hometown hero Leon Marchand took to the pool 15 minutes before Wiffen in the semi-final of the men’s 200m butterfly. His parents are former Olympic swimmers Xavier Marchand and Céline Bonnet. His coach is Michael Phelps’s former mentor Bob Bowman.

Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen becomes emotional as the Irish national anthem is played

By the third length, every pull was celebrated with a Olé, like football supporter’s hurrahing every pass against an outclassed opponent. His quest to become the first swimmer to win butterfly and breaststroke medals at one Games continues. History’s hand was reaching out to all of Paris. Wiffen then emerged and beckoned it closer.

“I am surprised, I don’t think a lot of people believed I was going to it today,” he declared. “Incredible. I said it. I done it.”

He was the last to walk out. He was the last to remove his tracksuit. He was the last man to succumb to the fatigue that comes with such a taxing discipline. Elijah Winnington was the early leader only to finish in eighth.

At the midway point, Wiffen started to push but it was still knee-rattlingly close. It’s not like his eventual triumph was sudden either. His recovery after a nervy initial 300 metres, his composure in the closing push, his ability to establish and then maintain that flowing technique, elevated him above all competition. It was clutch.

The only time that steely poise cracked was on the podium. The tricolour was raised, the national anthem rang out, his lip began to twitch and his eyes blinked incessantly as if blinded by his own extraordinary stardom.

Daniel Wiffen and Ireland, coming to terms with this new reality that they are now a global power in the pool. Glorious.