Just about an hour until Daniel Wiffen is expected to attend the 170th meeting of University College Dublin’s Literary and Historical Society, as the current James Joyce award winner, he’s busily finessing his brief acceptance lecture.
Known just as much for his eloquent offhand conversations outside the swimming pool as his award-winning performances within it, Wiffen certainly wants to ensure he gives justice to Joyce’s quote from Ulysses, placing it in the right influential context.
“I was researching on this award and came across Joyce’s quote, ‘A man of genius makes no mistakes, his errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery’ … I feel there’s a connection there. Essentially, when there’s a mishap, you perceive it as a chance to learn, similar to when I couldn’t secure the top three positions twice at the 2023 World Championships. I harnessed those experiences to better myself and ultimately secure an Olympic gold in Paris.”
In Ireland, the James Joyce award is deemed the most prestigious recognition that a student institution can confer upon a person, signifying respect for their significant contribution to any human endeavour.
“You find yourself in noteworthy company,” I inform him. “Desmond Tutu, Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize Dignitaries…”
“And JK Rowling,” Wiffen adds, evidently quite thrilled with the honour.
Wiffen’s golden moment in Paris, where he clinched the 800m freestyle gold and followed by a bronze in the 1,500m freestyle, is just about three months past. And by his own account, he’s currently at his least conditioned in years.
“Well, prior to my actual holiday, I had a short three-week break in Ireland, which seemed to fly by due to numerous meet and greets. I’m no longer able to take a leisurely walk down the streets of my hometown, as I find myself having to be chauffeured around. Nonetheless, it’s manageable, especially when it comes to interacting with young fans.
“Upon leaving the country, it felt like time slowed down. But even when I spent a month in Bali, I remained in the public eye and never truly got a break from it. So this is the least fit I’ve felt in a while. I can’t recall a time since Tokyo when I took more than three weeks off in total. So this nearly eight-week break has been a significant one.”
Despite spending leisure time swimming on his holiday and even indulging in some surfing in Bali, Wiffen’s sporting aspirations are no joke. His playful announcement that he’ll take part in the 2028 LA Olympics’ surfing event leaves him with a signature mischievous smile. He relishes the thought that some would believe him.
However, the reality is that his attention is already centred on the LA pool. Ahead lies the prime time of his swimming career at 23, the aftermath of Paris already forgotten. Just over three weeks after his return, he felt an urge to dive back in. But after two weeks, the need for goal realignment kicked in and exhaustion followed. Subsequently, he took a breather to reset again, and ever since, he’s been eager to swim.
The most challenging part was the members’ departure from his training group in Loughborough, leaving only his twin brother, Nathan, and one or two others. This meant bidding goodbye to the large part of the group who motivated him and being uncertain about his swimming companions.
Wiffen is in two minds about participating in the short-course World Aquatics Swimming Championships in December, with his sights set on the World Championships in Singapore next July. He plans to restore his fitness until about February, but emphasises that the highlight for him will be the World Champs in July, where he hopes to impress.
Reflecting on being questioned about his experience of clinching the Olympic gold, he confesses that it was more a sigh of relief than a celebratory moment. The accomplishment eliminated the immense pressure he felt as he had always dreamt of winning the Olympic gold.
Looking ahead, he is all set to gear up for LA from January, with yearly milestones plotted. Analysing his performance in Paris, he strongly believes he can slash at least 20 seconds off his 1,500m time by making certain changes. However, he acknowledges the modifications he is yet to discover. With these dreams, he plans to keep striving.