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.
