Wiffen finishes fourth in tough 800m final
Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen narrowly missed out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games, finishing fourth in the men's 800m freestyle final at the Tollcross Swimming Centre in Glasgow. The result will be a disappointment for the Northern Ireland swimmer, who had been in contention for a podium finish but was edged out in a closely fought race.
Wiffen clocked 7:48.82, just over nine seconds adrift of bronze medallist Matthew Galea of Australia, having battled with him for a place on the podium throughout the race. Fellow Australian Sam Short, who had earlier won the 400m freestyle (an event in which Wiffen finished fifth), cruised to gold, with compatriot Benjamin Goedemans taking silver. The 25-year-old Wiffen, a bronze medallist over 1500m at both the Paris Olympics and the 2022 Birmingham Games, will get another shot at a medal when he contests the 1500m final on Wednesday.
- Daniel Wiffen finishes fourth in Commonwealth Games 800m freestyle final
- Australians sweep the podium: Short gold, Goedemans silver, Galea bronze
- Wiffen next competes in the 1500m final on Wednesday
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Daniel Wiffen is an Olympic champion swimmer from Northern Ireland who specialises in middle-distance freestyle events. He won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, establishing him as one of the world's elite swimmers in these disciplines.
The Commonwealth Games is a major international multi-sport competition held every four years featuring athletes from across the Commonwealth. It is a prestigious event where elite swimmers compete at the highest level for medals.
Wiffen is entered in multiple events at these Games, including the 800m and 1500m freestyle races. Swimming performance often varies between different races owing to the distinct demands of each event and the athlete's physical condition on the day.