Revealed: Irish Olympic hero Daniel Wiffen appeared as an actor in iconic Game of Thrones episode as...

Irish Olympian Daniel Wiffen's Game Of Thrones Cameo & Paris Podium

Posted: 12:57 AM GMT, August 5th, 2024 | Revised: 07:57 AM GMT, August 5th, 2024

Daniel Wiffen, who won a bronze medal in the men's 1500m freestyle after claiming gold in the 800m earlier in the week, also had a role in the popular TV show Game of Thrones.

The athlete from Team Ireland showed their skill in a big way on Tuesday, setting a new Olympic record with a very fast time of 7 minutes 38.19 seconds.

By achieving this, he made history by becoming the first athlete from Northern Ireland to win an Olympic gold medal in 36 years. The audience at Paris's La Defense Arena went wild with excitement as he secured the win.

After achieving a significant victory, he continued his streak with another top three placement today. He was outpaced by Bobby Finke from the USA, who set a world record time of 14 minutes and 30.67 seconds.

However, Olympic enthusiasts have recently found out that this is not the initial instance where Wiffen, who hails from Leeds, has been involved in intense TV events.

Daniel Wiffen won a bronze medal in the men's 1500m freestyle today, following his impressive gold medal in the 800m earlier this week.

However, the most surprising moment of the night was when it was revealed that he had been on Game of Thrones. (photo credit: HBO - Game of Thrones)

On Tuesday, the Team Ireland athlete achieved Olympic success by setting a new Olympic record in the 800m freestyle event with a very fast time of 7:38.19.

The 23-year-old actually appeared as a background actor in the popular show Game of Thrones, alongside his twin brother Nathan.

According to the BBC's Clare Balding, the brothers and sisters were present in the famous Red Wedding episode of the show, as she announced during her broadcast tonight.

Wiffen, from Magheralin in Northern Ireland, shared with Olympics.com: "When I was a kid, I wasn't really aware of Game of Thrones."

I wasn't allowed to watch it by my parents, but my sister landed a fantastic part on Game of Thrones.

She was one of the daughters from the Frey family. She played her part, and then we joined in for the Red Wedding, making for an exciting scene in the background.

The person who swam shared with the Irish Mirror that they had a great time and appreciated how kind the actors from the show, like Kit Harrington, were.

Wiffen's time of 14 minutes and 39.63 seconds was not fast enough to outpace Italy's Gregorio Paltrinieri for the second spot at the La Defense Arena this evening.

However, he can feel proud knowing that his most recent award has made him the first athlete from Team Ireland to receive more than one medal at the same Olympics since 1996.

The swimmer's efforts have played a crucial role in helping Team Ireland achieve six medals, their highest number ever and matching their count at London 2012.

Wiffen, on the other hand, desired more and mentioned to the BBC that he had 'much greater ambitions' for the final.

"I was actually quite shocked by how the 800m turned out at the beginning of the week," he admitted.

The 23-year-old athlete achieved victory in the competition on Tuesday, and followed it up with another medal tonight.

Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri came in second place to win the silver medal, while American swimmer Bobby Finke took home the gold medal for Team USA.

Wiffen, on the other hand, desired greater things and expressed to the BBC that he had 'much bigger dreams' for the final.

However, he can be proud of the fact that his most recent award has made him the first Team Ireland athlete to win multiple medals at a single Olympics since 1996.

I was well-prepared for this race. I was fully prepared to beat the world record, but unfortunately, things don't always go as planned in swimming. Some days you perform at your best, while other days you struggle.

If someone had told me earlier this week that I would win a bronze medal, I would have been extremely happy. But now that I am leaving with a gold and bronze medal, it feels really amazing and unique.

The young swimmer, 23, will participate in the 10km marathon swim at the River Seine during the Olympics on Friday. This will be his debut in an open water race.