NANTERRE, France (AP) — Daniel Wiffen emerges for breakfast each morning in the athletes’ village and is swarmed by fellow Olympians and others eager for an autograph or photo.
The Irish swimmer figures he has snapped some 500 of them in recent days since capturing gold in the 800-meter freestyle.
“Yeah, I actually think I’m probably like one of the most famous Olympic champions,” he cracked following his 1,500 free preliminary Saturday. “I feel like Simone Biles.”
Wiffen is relishing every second of his newfound fame — and stardom certain to reach an entire other level in Ireland. Especially if he wins the 1,500 on Sunday.
He made it clear he’s chasing the world record, too. That mark has held for 12 years, since China’s Sun Yang finished in 14 minutes, 31.02 seconds at the 2012 London Games but was later banned four years for doping.
The 23-year-old Wiffen, who expects a battle from American Bobby Finke, earned the fastest qualifying time with a 14:40.34 on Saturday morning despite what he called some minor fatigue from a lack of sleep. He promised to get some rest going into the final on the last day of swimming in the Paris pool.
A lanky distance specialist who wears studious specks outside the pool, Wiffen said he rarely becomes emotional.
That made him self-conscious as he teared up once the gold medal was around his neck. Wiffen had counted on contending in the 1,500 free and not necessarily the 800.
Then, he went out Tuesday and secured Ireland’s first Olympic swimming gold since 1996 at Atlanta after countrywoman Mona McSharry won bronze in the 100 breaststroke Monday night.
“We’ve taken a massive step forward this week,” Irish butterfly standout Max McCusker said. “We’ve had so many semifinals and finals and now medals, so it’s the best meet we’ve had in the history of Ireland. Really happy moving forward and hopefully we can do that again the next cycle.”
Andi Manley, Wiffen’s coach at Loughborough University, a public research college a couple of hours’ drive or about 115 miles north of London, watched proudly as Wiffen put Irish swimming back on the world map.
The 1,500 was “the one that we came here and thought he had his best chance of winning, so to win the 800 … is just incredible,” Manley said. “Really proud because the pressure of being in Lane 4 in an Olympic final, he still delivered the swim we’d planned for, the perfect race.”
Manley made his way back to England on Wednesday, leaving the rest of the on-site preparation to Wiffen and his Irish coaches.
And those teammates and fans thrilled to see him shine.
“He’s a big face in Ireland now,” McCusker said. “He gets a lot of it now and I think he deals with it well. He’s got the personality for it. He loves it. It works well for him but I think he’s just soaking it in and takes it in stride now.
With so many Irish eyes smiling upon them, Wiffen and McSharry have helped erase the stigma of Michelle Smith de Bruin’s scrutinized trio of golds and a bronze in Atlanta amid doping suspicions.
“With history like that, it’s always important to remember it,” Irish swimmer Shane Ryan said after anchoring the 4×100 medley relay. “And that’s one thing that we’re trying to do is just making sure that we believe in clean sport.”
Ireland had earned four medals — also in boxing and rowing — as of Saturday to match its total from Tokyo three years ago. Minister of Sport Thomas Byrne knows how much the Olympic success will mean not only now but for future Irish athletes.
“Well, look, it’s just been an incredible week for Irish sport and swimming in particular because Mona McSharry started the week with her bronze medal where people were crying all over the country, she gave a very emotional interview,” Byrne said at the pool Thursday night. “Then of course Daniel Wiffen in his first event and he gets a gold medal which is such a huge achievement for him and for our country. We’re so proud.”
Wiffen has become an Irish dynamo in the pool and well beyond. Once he’s done at La Defense Arena he will switch gears to the 10,000-meter marathon swim scheduled for the polluted Seine River.
It has been utter madness since his 800 triumph, and there will be far more fanfare if he pulls off the remarkable distance double.
“They wait outside my building when I come out for breakfast for photos,” he said. “… I like it, yeah. Why not? It’s pretty cool.”
Anyone famous?
“Who’s the most famous? Oh, maybe there’s famous people who have asked me, I don’t know,” Wiffen said. “I’m not sure. I can’t remember.”
They all will remember him. In Ireland and beyond.
