Daniel Wiffen Withdraws From Worlds, Citing Appendicitis Recovery
Ireland Olympic gold medalist Daniel Wiffen has withdrawn from the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, citing the bout of appendicitis he battled last month.
Wiffen’s withdrawal is officially on medical grounds. Swim Ireland announced it on Thursday at the conclusion of the fifth day of the meet, ruling Wiffen out of the men’s 1,500 freestyle.
“Just to let everyone know I have medically withdrawn from the World Championships in Singapore due to the appendicitis that I suffered from in June,” Wiffen said in a statement. “Thank you for all the support in last night’s final. I wasn’t physically at my best, but I will be working towards getting back to full fitness and winning shape soon.”
Wiffen, who had a triumphant Paris Olympics last summer, has been far from his best in Singapore. He failed to make it out of prelims in the 400 free, his time of 3:47.57 finishing 16th, just under two seconds shy of the top eight to advance to finals. He made the final eight in the 800 free in eighth place in 7:46.36, but was clearly not himself in the final, fading to eighth place in a time of 7:58.56, nearly 20 seconds off the pace set by gold medal winner Ahmed Jaouadi of Tunisia.
It’s a far cry from Wiffen’s marauding performance in Paris last summer, which made him the first Irish male swimmer to win Olympic gold in history. He set the Olympic and European records in winning the 800 free in 7:38.19, then took bronze in the 1,500 behind Bobby Finke’s world record. Wiffen won the 800 and 1500 free at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha. In Fukuoka in 2023, he was fourth in the 800 despite setting a European record and fourth in the 1,500. He’s been in good form for most of 2024 before the appendicitis, with the chase of the 2009 world record in the 800 free set by Zhang Lin his animating quest.
