Even at 60%, Daniel Wiffen is champion material

Daniel Wiffen is aiming to win gold medals in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m at the LA Olympics

Swim Ireland today its groundbreaking Swimming Pool Gap Analysis report on Tuesday, revealing critical deficiencies in Ireland's swimming infrastructure. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Numerous times at last week's European Short Course Championships, Daniel Wiffen was asked how fit he really could be. "Six out of 10 is what I gave myself," Wiffen said on Tuesday. Considering he'd undergone surgery to remove his appendix in early September, and had just seven weeks of full training heading into the championships, it was remarkable that he returned from Poland with a gold and two bronze.

"Normally coming to these competitions, I train really well, I have some good sessions, and I have a lot of confidence going in," said the Olympic 800m champion.

"I am happy to say that a lot of the time I have come out and said I am going to win, I have backed up most of the time. 

"This time was very different. I had limited preparation. I maybe had one good set out of everything. It was a hard mental battle to get over. 

"I got the fourth best male in the whole of the European Championships. I thought that was pretty cool to see.

"I probably considered (not taking part) about four weeks before. I was at training. Nothing was working with what we were doing.

"I came back home about two weeks before the meet just to do the last final prep. Everything started coming together.

"I started feeling really good. Then I was like, why not? I don't want to be the guy who doesn't turn up after a month of full fitness. I turned up to the World Champs with appendicitis."

Wiffen's gold was won in the 1500m freestyle, just two days after he had claimed bronze in the 400m freestyle. His third medal came in the 800m freestyle.

"I was like, 'I feel pretty good in the heat'," Wiffen, who spent the majority of the 1500m final in second behind Hungary's Zalan Sarkany, said about the build-up to his win.

"Came to the final, felt awful, I was throwing up before the race. I was like, 'What's happening here?' In the race, I am behind the whole way. Then I was questioning myself, if I am good enough, if I am fully back to fitness.

"Then the last 500 made a little move to make sure I secured the silver. Then I was like, 'What's the harm to lose? Just go for it in the last 200m'.

"Somehow I caught it back and made a gap. It's probably one of my favourite races I have ever done. I have never seen somebody ever do that before in a race. It was pretty remarkable in my opinion."

Wiffen, who won 1500m bronze at the Paris Olympics to go with his gold, will be 27 - and nearly at what he believes is the peak age for a swimmer - by the time LA 2028 swings around. 

"I am trying to go for the triple at the next Olympics," said Wiffen. 

"I want the 400m, 800m and the 1500m - no open water this time. That is my goal. I am going to work towards it every year. Commonwealth Games are my next big international."

Daniel and his twin brother Nathan both recently moved to California for training. 

"He is the reason why I train so fast, and I'm able to compete," said Wiffen.

"He's fourth at the moment for the NCAA rankings. I think we're going to see something pretty special from him.

"I'm 100% confident that we're both going to be on the podium at the Commonwealth Games."