It was this time last year that Daniel Wiffen made a deal with himself. He was fed up after being run out of the medals twice at the World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka in July 2023. Fourth in the 1,500m freestyle final. Fourth in the 800m freestyle final four days later. No medals but those fourths hardened Wiffen’s mettle.
The Armagh man told himself no more medal-misses as he went into the European short course championships in Otopeni, Romania last December. What happened next rippled its way into the record books.