Dan Wiffen Joins Exalted 1500 Free Company With 14:34.91 In Stockholm: 4th Fastest Man In History, 2nd European

Dan Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Team Ireland

Dan Wiffen Joins Exalted 1500 Free Company With 14:34.91 In Stockholm: 4th Fastest Man In History, 2nd European

Dan Wiffen elevated himself into exalted 1500 free company when he delivered a stunning 14:34.91 at the Swim Open Stockholm.

The Irishman’s previous best – and national record – was 14:51.79 en-route to silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games but he sliced a huge chunk of 16.88secs from that mark in the Swedish capital.

Now the 21-year-old is the fourth-fastest man in history after producing the eighth-swiftest swim all-time.

He becomes the 11th man inside 14:40 and will meet four others – Gregorio Paltrinieri, Florian Wellbrock, Bobby Finke and Mykhailo Romanchuk – at the World Championships in Fukuoka in July.

All-Time Rankings

14:31.02: Sun Yang, 2012 Olympic Games

14:32.80: Gregorio Paltrinieri, 2022 World Championships

14:34.56: Grant Hackett, 2001 World Championships

14:34.91: Dan Wiffen, 2023 Swim Open Stockholm

14:36.10: Mykhailo Romanchuk, 2022 European Championships

Splits:

56.53/1:55.32/2:53.87/3:52.29/4:50.65/5:49.07/6:47.62/7:46.32/8:44.93/9:43.74/10:42.38/11:40.94/12:39.64/13:38.42/14:34.91

Wiffen’s final 100 of 56.49 was swifter than his opening 100 of 56.53 and his 800 split matched his Irish record of 7:46.32 set at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest.

He displaces Wellbrock at the top of the rankings, the 2019 world champion having posted 14:40.18 at the end of March.

Behind him came Romanchuk in 14:40.21 with Henrik Christiansen next home in 15:02.31.

His stunner of a performance in Stockholm came 24 hours after he went 3:44.35 in the 400 free where he took 2.27secs off his PB and Irish standard to get second in the 2023 rankings.

Wiffen Writes His Own Lines In History

Wiffen has rewritten the Irish and European record books.

He became the first Irish swimmer to hold a European record when he went 7:25.96 in the short-course pool at the Irish National Winter Championships in December.

Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Swim Ireland

His time sliced 1.98secs from the previous mark of 7:27.94 set by Paltrinieri at the 2021 short-course Europeans.

It moved him to within 2.54secs of Grant Hackett’s world record of 7:23.42 that has stood to the Australian great since July 2008.

Wiffen has progressed apace under the watchful eye of coach Andi Manley in a Loughborough training group containing – among others – Felix Aubock, the 2021 world 400 free short-course champion.

Since moving from the Swim Ireland National Centre, Dublin, Wiffen has consistently set about reducing his times and in 2022 has rewritten the Irish record books across the 400, 800 and 1500 free in both the long and short-course pools plus a 400IM mark of 4:11.05 in the latter.

He also made history as the first able-bodied swimmer from Northern Ireland to win a Commonwealth medal with his silver last year in Birmingham.

Hansson Flies High

Louise Hansson went third in the 100 fly rankings to lead home an all-Swedish top three.

The European champion reached halfway in 26.86, 0.01 behind Sara Junevik, but a second 50 of 30.14 to her rival’s 32.27 propelled her into the wall in 57.00.

Only Maggie MacNeil (56.54) and Regan Smith (56.60) have gone quicker this year.

Junevik added 100 silver to the one she picked up behind Sarah Sjostrom in the 50 in 59.12 with 2008-born Emmy Hällkvist third in 59.25.

The session started with the men’s 200 free, two-time Olympian Danas Rapsys leading throughout to win in 1:45.86.

Behind him came Aubock – replicating his second place in the 400 on Thursday – in 1:46.22 with Max Litchfield – swimming for Livorno Aquatics – third in 1:48.93.

Daniel Zaitsev added the 100 fly to his 50 title in 52.46 and Miroslav Knedla took the 50 back in 24.93.

Lucas Matzerath won the 100br in 1:00.66 with Olympic 200 bronze medallist Matti Mattsson adding silver to his win over four lengths on Thursday in 1:01.20.

Catie Deloof won the 100 back (1:00.25), Eneli Jefimova headed the 50br (30.61) and Lisa Nystrand took the 400IM (4:50.84).

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