Paris 2024 swimming: All results, as Daniel Wiffen wins Ireland Olympic gold in men's 800m freestyle
Daniel Wiffen from Ireland won the 800m freestyle race at the Paris La Defense Arena during the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Bobby Finke from the United States made a strong finish but couldn't catch up to Wiffen. Gregorio Paltrinieri from Italy finished in third place.
Wiffen made history by setting a new Olympic record and securing Ireland's first gold medal at the Paris 2024 games. He and Paltrinieri maintained a close lead throughout the race, with Finke finishing in third place. In a familiar moment reminiscent of Tokyo 2020, Finke made a strong surge in the last 50 meters. However, Wiffen managed to maintain his lead and touched the wall first, earning his first Olympic medal.
While receiving his medal, Wiffen grinned and struggled to remain composed while the Irish national anthem played. Tears welled up in his eyes before he swiftly brushed them away and joined his fellow medal winners for a photo. Once the ceremony concluded, he hastily ran over to embrace his family.
Wiffen, a newcomer to the Olympics, finished in fourth place at the 2023 world championships in the 800m event. He went on to achieve gold in the same event in Doha earlier this year. In addition to his success in swimming, he also had a cameo role in the well-known "Red Wedding" episode of the popular TV series “Game of Thrones.”
Wiffen still has one more event left in the Olympics - he will be competing in the 1500m freestyle on August 3rd.
Men's 800m Freestyle Winners
In the blog post, it was announced that Daniel Wiffen from Ireland won the gold medal, Bobby Finke from the USA took home the silver, and Gregorio Paltrinieri from Italy earned the bronze in the competition.
Check out all the outcomes on Olympics.com
