Paris 2024 Olympics: How winning 800m gold is making Ireland’s Wiffen feel like Simone Biles

Daniel Wiffen set an Olympic record to claim the 800 metres freestyle on Tuesday and he is well set for a double at La Defense Arena after he topped the 1500m freestyle heats on Saturday.

Gold medalist Daniel Wiffen of Ireland holds his gold medal for the men’s 800-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Paris Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP

Daniel Wiffen is not used to the fame that comes with becoming an Olympic champion after he became the first Irishman to win a gold in the pool but the 23-year-old is not one to shy away from posing for selfies in the athletes’ village in Paris.

Wiffen set an Olympic record to claim the 800 metres freestyle on Tuesday and he is well set for a double at La Defense Arena after he topped the 1500m freestyle heats on Saturday.

The unassuming but confident Irishman said it would “mean everything” if he came away with two golds, but outside the pool he is simply enjoying himself as people line up for photos with the bespectacled swimmer.

“I actually think I’m probably one of the most famous Olympic champions. Maybe I’ve got a distinct look about me,” a grinning Wiffen told reporters.

“Because I think (athletes from) every sport come up to me in the dining hall and asks for photos. I feel like Simone Biles! 500 (photos), something like that.”

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American gymnast Biles clinched her sixth Olympic gold medal on Thursday to confirm her status as the greatest of all-time.

“I’ve been signing autographs and everything. They wait outside my building, when I come out for breakfast, for photos,” Wiffen added. “I like it. Why not? It’s pretty cool.”

Wiffen has also approached athletes for photos himself, with the Irishman saying he went up to American sprinter Noah Lyles who is competing in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

But when it comes down to business, Wiffen said he was parking the 800m freestyle gold in the back of his mind while saying he would take a crack at the world record held by China’s Sun Yang.

“If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But I think personally it’s going to take that to win gold,” Wiffen said. “I wasn’t really thinking about the 800 too much because I love the 1,500. But coming into the 1,500 now as the 800 champion, it’s going to be a bit of a difference.

“You have to find different ways to motivate yourself and different ways to go fast. That’s exactly what I’m going to do tomorrow night,” the Olympic champion added.