World Aquatics Championships: Daniel Wiffen claims 1500m freestyle gold

Wiffen chased the world record for most of the race

Ireland's Daniel Wiffen produced a stunning performance to win his second gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships with a dominant victory in the 1500 freestyle final in Doha.

The 22-year-old led from start to finish as he sought to break China's Sun Yang's world record (14:31.02).

While Wiffen fell short of Sun's mark, he left a world-class field in his wake to finish in 14:34.07.

He won by 10.54 seconds from Germany's Florian Wellbrock.

France's David Aubry was third in 14:44.85.

It caps a remarkable week for the County Armagh swimmer, who claimed Ireland's first world gold medal in the 800m freestyle on Wednesday.

Wiffen's previous best time of 14:34.91 had been set in Stockholm in April 2023 so the Magheralin swimmer was delighted to set a new Irish record.

"Yeah, I mean that race is definitely better for me," said Wiffen.

"I set a personal best and I'm so happy because after hitting that time in April, you know it could have been a fluke.

"I went 14.35 in the European Under-23s in my back garden in Dublin, and then obviously coming here, the progression from the 400 to the 800 to the 1500.

"I'm just so happy to come away with a personal best and two world titles."

Given that he left a quality field in his wake, Wiffen's performance on Sunday was arguably the greatest swim by an Irish male swimmer.

Showcasing supreme self-belief, he led from the first length and swam away from a field that including an Olympic champion and multiple World and European medallists.

"I was talking about it before with my coach Andi (Manley), and we had a little bet as well going on about if I was going to PB or not," added Wiffen, who went into Sunday's final with the sixth-fastest time from the heats.

"But yeah 100% go out a bit faster than everybody else and just be in my own lanes for my own race and get out ahead and really focus on what I was going to do."

At the halfway stage, Wiffen was under the world-record mark and that remains a target as he now sets his sights on the Olympic Games in Paris.

"I mean it's definitely one of my goals to try and beat that at some point," Wiffen said of the world record.

"I'm only 22, I've got another eight years at least, another couple of Olympics in me and I'm sure I'll go at some stage and I hope to be the person to do it."

Earlier on Sunday, Sligo's Mona McSharry finished eighth in the 50m breaststroke final in 30.96secs, with the race won by Lithuania's world record holder Ruta Meilutyte.

Ireland clinch medley relay spots for Olympics

Meanwhile, both Irish medley relay squads have clinched places for the Olympics in Paris.

However there is still work to be done for the men if they are to accept the invitation despite reaching the World Championship final.

Conor Ferguson (backstroke), Darragh Green (breaststroke), Max McCusker (butterfly) and Shane Ryan (freestyle) finished seventh in the final.

In order to compete at Paris, two Olympic qualification times (OQT) are required from the team when the invitation arrives. None of the four swimmers have achieved an individual qualifying time yet.

While they did not compete in Doha, Ireland's women's 4x100m medley relay time of 4:01.25 from the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, remained good enough for a quota spot for Paris 2024.

Ireland already have two women with Olympic qualification times from within that relay in Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe.

It means that two more swimmers can be added to the squad even if they don't achieve individual qualification times.

Larne's Danielle Hill and Victoria Catterson from Ards were the other two swimmers from last year's World Championships.

It will be Ireland's first female relay at an Olympic Games since 1972.