Daniel Wiffen made historical past with a surprising victory within the males’s 800m freestyle closing to assert Eire’s first Olympic gold medal in Paris.
Wiffen turned Eire’s first males’s pool medalist and solely the third after Michelle Smith and Mona McSharry, who solely gained bronze within the girls’s 100m breaststroke on Monday.
Though Leeds-born Wiffen trailed Gregorio Paltrineri with 50m remaining, he overtook the Italian and held off American Bobby Finke Within the closing dash, he gained the highest spot with a bonus of 0.56 seconds.
Wiffen turns into Eire’s second medalist in as many days
Funk gained silver and Paltrinelli took bronze, whereas Wiffen, who gained the long-distance world title in February, was celebrating his personal Olympic document of seven minutes, 38.19 seconds.
Tokyo 2020 marks the return of the boys’s occasion for the primary time since 1904, with Wiffen lacking the ultimate however setting the stage in Paris with the quickest qualifying time in Monday’s heats.
He made his first cost simply earlier than the halfway level of the stage, and though he ceded management to Paltrinelli, the 23-year-old was simply 0.1 seconds behind and nonetheless had sufficient power for a closing cost. Funk did the identical, however Wiffen managed the tempo of the sport to perfection and was greater than able to stopping the American.
“I do not assume lots of people actually believed I used to be going to do that tonight, however, it was unimaginable,” Wiffen stated. “I’ve accomplished it – that is what I wish to say!
Whiffen visibly emotional after setting new Olympic document successful time
“I used to be nervous, essentially the most nervous I’ve ever been in a contest, however what calmed me down? As quickly as I walked out I heard my brother calling me. I did not hear the group – simply him, This calmed me down and actually calmed my head.
“I am not going to lie, individuals have been saying I used to be Finked – I am comfortable to say I wasn’t Finked, so clearly I used to be comfortable to place my arms on the wall first.”
Eire pays tribute to ‘historical past maker’ Wiffen
Wiffen turned the primary gold medalist from Northern Eire in 36 years and the primary Irish males’s swimming gold medalist.
The final Northern Irish athletes to win Olympic gold have been Stephen Martin and Jimmy Kirkwood, who have been a part of GB’s successful 1988 hockey staff in Seoul, whereas Wiffen He’s the primary particular person gold medalist from Northern Eire since Mary Peters gained the Olympic title for Nice Britain.
Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly congratulated the swimming hero.
“This can be a actually vital second for Daniel and native sport,” they stated in a joint assertion. “Not solely has he gained NI’s first Olympic gold medal in 36 years, it’s also the primary for our athletes on the Olympics. First medal and a brand new Olympic document was achieved by a incredible efficiency from the @TeamIreland swimmers.”
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