"I'd say that my rate of improvement is scary for my opposition," says Daniel Wiffen. It's not a sentence many Irish sportspeople would utter, even the ones who do scare their opponents.
For Wiffen, who last month became the first ever Irishman to hold world record in swimming, the sentiment doesn't originate in bravado.
At the European Short Course Championships in December - nearly two-and-a-half years after failing to progress beyond the heats at the Olympics - Wiffen won gold medals in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events.
In the 1500m, he swam in the third fastest time ever, finishing just over two seconds outside the world record. Three days later, in the 800m final, he broke Grant Hackett's 15-year-old world record - the oldest in the books. Since he was young, breaking one had been an ambition. A life goal had been realised at 22.
10 December 2023; Daniel Wiffen of Ireland receives his gold medal after winning the Men's 800m Freestyle, alongside silver medallist David Aubry of France, left, and bronze medallist Mykhailo Romanchuk of Ukraine, right, during day six of the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2023 at the Aquatics Complex in Otopeni, Romania. Photo by Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile
It was an even more remarkable performance considering he'd spent the previous night, from 2am - 6am, up vomiting. Good advice from the team around him, combined with a five-hour nap, helped him recover in time for the final.
Four years ago, Wiffen moved to Loughborough University, located just north of Leicester, a "risky" decision in what was supposed to be an Olympic year, but one which has worked out. Studying in America had initially been the plan but after sitting down with his parents, it was decided he'd follow his identical twin brother Nathan to Loughborough.
"When I moved to Loughborough, I started on a 15:39 for my 1500m, and just last year I brought it down to 14:34," says the Down native. That dropped to 14:09 in December.
"[My opponents] are probably looking at me thinking 'This guy drops time every time he swims' which I have found is quite an advantage," he says, "because maybe it makes this fear factor of 'What's he going to do next?'"
His performances in Romania last month make him one of the favourites for the 800m and 1500m at this year's Olympic Games in Paris. Those times were achieved despite not tapering his training. He trained hard up to the championships and after.
10 December 2023; Daniel Wiffen of Ireland celebrates his victory in the Men's 800m Freestyle, setting a new world record of 7:20.46, during day six of the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2023 at the Aquatics Complex in Otopeni, Romania. Photo by Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile
"It may sound a bit weird but I didn't rest to break the world record," says Wiffen.
"I didn't just swim the six days [of the European Championships]. It was 10 days of racing because I did a competition just before it where I swam two 1500m and an 800m.
"I just turned up at the meet and swam fast. It's exciting to feel that way because I know I didn't put the full preparation in. I ended up smashing a world record that'd never been touched in 10 years."
Loughborough, where he is coached by Andy Manley, has been a major factor in Wiffen's progression. The university's pool has a state-of-the-art Kistler performance analysis system which Wiffen uses to tweak elements of his technique like his turn and his head position when he's breathing.
"They have cameras with this 360 view all the way around," he says.
"I went with Ireland to this tank in September where they have the same thing."
He also trains with top class swimmers like his brother Nathan and 2021 400m freestyle world champion Felix Auböck from Austria.
"My goal, whenever I go in, is that I just want to beat the fastest person," says Wiffen.
"I used Felix as my point to be, 'If I beat him, then I'm going to be in the medals'. My first year, I didn't beat him at all in training. He just wiped the floor with me.
"The next year, I probably beat him three times in one set. My third year, I was beating at nearly everything. I've said that so many times that people are coming into the University as freshers trying to do that to me. It's nice to see that rubbing off on people."
10 December 2023; Daniel Wiffen of Ireland celebrates his victory in the Men's 800m Freestyle, setting a new world record of 7:20.46, during day six of the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2023 at the Aquatics Complex in Otopeni, Romania. Photo by Nikola Krstic/Sportsfile
Daniel was not the only Wiffen to reach finals at the European Championships. Nathan finished eighth in the 800m and 1500m freestyle. Growing up, backstroke had been Nathan's main event.
"My parents wouldn't let him do freestyle because that was my event and they didn't want us to fight," says Wiffen,
"Then he decided to change because his coach said that if you look at him, he looks a better distance freestyler than a backstroker. He's changed and he's making finals. It worked out.
"Nathan would be quite quiet compared to me. We both have the same drive and the same goals. He's just a couple of years behind because he decided to switch his events.
"I'd like to think he's quite confident now about the results he's producing. He's got a better progression rate than me. He dropped a minute and a half in a whole six months.
"I can't wait to race him properly when he starts dropping his time towards mine. Then we can be rivals, which will be even more fun."
Next up for Wiffen is February's World Championships in Doha, his "test Olympics". The preparation will be the same as the Games, as will the schedule, and virtually all the opponents.
Confidence gained from doing the 400m, 800m and 1500m at the European Championships means he will contest all three in Doha, and if it works out, also at the Olympics.
"That's why I'm choosing to do the extra event of the 400m, because I have the fitness to do it," he says.
"Also, I'd like to think I'm a contender in the event for a medal as well. I wouldn't just do it for fun."
