August 9th 2024.
After an incredible run at the Olympics, Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen has decided to retire from open water marathon swimming. Despite his success in the 800m freestyle event, Wiffen's experience in the 10km marathon swim was far from pleasant. In fact, he described it as "one of the worst things" he has ever done, jokingly saying he is already "retiring" from this particular competition.
Wiffen, who became the first male swimmer to win gold for Ireland in Paris, faced some challenges during the 10km race through the River Seine. He revealed that he was punched in the face midway through the race, which only added to the already grueling nature of open water swimming. Despite his rough experience, Wiffen still managed to finish in a respectable 18th place.
Reflecting on his debut in open water swimming, Wiffen said, "it's one of the worst things I've ever done. I'm never doing it again." However, he also acknowledged that he is proud of himself for completing the race and even placed higher than he did in the pool events at the Tokyo Olympics. He joked that he was already an Olympic champion and coming in 18th place in this race was not something he expected.
Wiffen also shared that he was surprised by the physicality of open water swimming, preferring the less chaotic pool events. He admitted that he had to swim alone at times to avoid getting kicked in the face by other swimmers. Despite his efforts, he still received a few elbows and a punch to the face during the race, making him realize that this sport may not be for him.
The 23-year-old swimmer also revealed that he had considered pulling out of the race beforehand but ultimately decided to go through with it because his friends were participating as well. However, he did not get the chance to see them during the race except for his training partner from Great Britain, Toby Robinson. Wiffen joked that he would prefer his own lane next time he competes in open water swimming.
In the end, Wiffen finished the 10km race in just under two hours and was pleased with himself for not coming in last. He announced his retirement from open water swimming, saying that he is happy to have completed it and is looking forward to the homecoming on Monday. Reflecting on his overall Olympic experience, Wiffen said he couldn't ask for anything more. Winning gold in the 800m and bronze in the 1500m events was a dream come true for him and he is proud to have brought home medals for his country.
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