Daniel Wiffen: 'It will take a world record to win gold' in 1500m freestyle

WORLD RECORD: Daniel Wiffen believes it will take a world record time from him to win his second Olympic gold in the Paris La Defense Area pool on Sunday night. Picture: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

Daniel Wiffen believes it will take a world record time from him to win his second Olympic gold in the Paris La Defense Area pool on Sunday night.

The Armagh man won the 800m freestyle earlier this week with a brilliant swim and, as he did then, qualified for his latest podium bid with the fastest time in the 1500m freestyle heats. Gregorio Platrinieri of Italy was next fastest but still over two seconds behind.

And Wiffen didn’t even feel all that great doing it.

“I’m not going to lie, I feel like I was carrying a bit of fatigue still,” he explained on Saturday. “I haven’t really slept properly since the 800m. I’m still getting eight hours, it’s just not a perfect sleep that I want.

“The start was a bit uncomfortable and then I really settled into the pace. I was actually kind of surprised I went that fast. It felt to me like a 14:50 swim, and I went 14:40 so maybe my pace is a bit off in my head but we’ll see.” 

The world’s best mark stands at 14:31.02 and was set by Yang Sun at London 2012. The Chinese swimmer has since been banned twice for doping offences and Wiffen referenced Yang when asked how he would overcome any fatigue for the final.

“I’m just going to sleep a lot. Because that’s what the Chinese 100m freestyler said when he broke the world record: he was going to sleep a lot. That's exactly what I'm going to do, sleep a lot.”

That he should be less than 100% is hardly a surprise given not so much the enormous distances he swims but the distractions and adrenalin which must have flowed since winning that 800m last Monday.

A ‘good’ problem, but a problem nonetheless.

“Oh, yeah. I've been so happy. But to be honest, I've had to park it in the back of my mind going into this race. I'm looking at it as I haven't won anything and I'm going in the same attitude I went in with the 800m final and yeah, that's exactly what's going to happen.

“And, you know, I'll give you a little insight. I'm going to try and have a crack at this world record. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. But I think personally it's going to take that to win gold.” Wiffen reckons he must have posed for 500 photos since that gold medal, maybe because of his distinctive glasses. People gravitate top him in the dining area and wait for him to finish his breakfast before pouncing.

“I feel like Simone Biles,” he joked.

He has one of his own too having asked US 100m star sprinter Noah Lyles for a snap but his focus remains laser-like when it comes to doubling his haul here in Paris.

“Oh, I mean it's everything to me to get two golds. I came just looking for one and now I'm in a position to get two or maybe three with the [10k open water] Seine race the next week. But yeah, it's going to be everything. We just have to see what happens tomorrow night.”