European Short Course Championships: Wiffen twins race in Romania as Paris beckons

Daniel Wiffen (right) won a Commonwealth Games 1500m freestyle silver medal in Birmingham last year

County Armagh swimmer Daniel Wiffen will chase a potential three gold medals at this week's European Short Course Championships in Romania but admits his family are travelling en masse to Otopeni to see twin brother Nathan make his international debut for Ireland.

Daniel is already a highly respected name in global swimming, having followed up his Commonwealth Games 1500m freestyle silver medal in 2022 with fourth places in the 800m and 1500m at this year's World Championships in Fukuoka.

The twins from Magheralin were born three minutes apart on 14 July 2001 but their time differences in their 400m, 800m and 1500m events are coming down rapidly as the younger Nathan continues to make progress seemingly by the week.

Daniel's outstanding form this year has already secured his Olympic spot in the 800m and 1500m and is convinced the knowledge he has gleaned during his rise up the world rankings will help Nathan book his Paris spot when he competes at the Irish Olympic trials in May.

"I know the pace he needs to hit in training to make these Olympic times and that's how he's smashing them and he's also pushing me to get even faster," says Daniel.

"I know the steps to get there. So basically, I can tell him all the mistakes I made on the way, 'don't do them and basically you'll get faster' and I feel as though that helps him.

"Nathan's making better progress that I did before. He dropped a minute and half. If he keeps that going, he'll probably beat me."

'Similar genetics'

For his part, Nathan knows that their "similar genetics" give him every chance of realising his Olympic ambition.

"I feel like it's a pretty good chance of making it. I've split my year in university so I'm doing fewer modules in the second semester so I can be more mentally prepared for the Olympic trials," he adds.

Nathan initially swam shorter distances but his career really took off when he opted to follow his twin into the longer freestyle events.

"When I decided to do distance, I was already thinking it was going to be a lot easier to PB," says Nathan, who like Daniel is part of the star-laden swimming squad at Loughborough University.

"I achieve because I prefer the training more so I guess I'm enjoying it more. With enjoyment comes better progress."

Irish national performance director Jon Rudd thought he was having a lengthy conversation with Daniel in Edinburgh last year but it turned out instead to be with Nathan

To the naked eye, telling the twins apart is impossible as Irish national performance director Jon Rudd found out during a competition week in Edinburgh last year.

"Jon came up to me and he thought I was Daniel [after one of his races] and I let him talk to me for 15 minutes about Daniel and didn't tell him," laughs Nathan.

Daniel adds: "Then I went over to Jon and I said 'what did you think of that?'... and he said, 'What do you mean?' I just told you for 15 minutes'.

"How can you tell Nathan and I apart? I've got a freckle just below my nose and I've got the Olympic rings tattoo. That's probably it?"

Nathan laughs in response but that latter difference could be gone come the late summer.

Nathan targeting final spot in Romania

As for this week's tests in Romania, Daniel goes into the three distance events rated number one in this year's world rankings although he says he is still dipping his toe into the water in terms of the 400m, with a view to possibly adding it to his Olympic programme.

"Not everybody is here so I think it's going to be a bit lighter on the times you are going to need to make the medals," he adds.

"Obviously I will be targeting a couple of medals in my main events and I'm thrown into the 400m as well just to see how I can do in that and the prep to Paris to see if I want to do that."

After this week's short course event, Daniel will then be in action during the World Championships in Doha in February which he believes will be a "fast meet despite it being Olympic year" and ideal preparation for Paris, with the Games still almost six months off.

As for Nathan, he is targeting reaching a final on his international debut.

"It might be quite hard to do that but hopefully I'll be up to the task."

If he manages it, you might see some noisy celebrations from one particular family group on your TV screens.