Daniel Wiffen Demolishes Grant Hackett’s 15-Year-Old World Record in 800 Free (7:20.46)

2023 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day 6 Finals Live Recap

Daniel Wiffen saved his best for last at the 2023 European Short Course Championships on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Irish distance specialist fired off a personal-best 7:20.46 in the SCM 800 freestyle, dropping more than five seconds and demolishing the legendary world record of 7:23.42 set by Australia’s Grant Hackett back on July 20, 2008, which made it the oldest world record still on the books. That standard stood untouched for 15 years before the arrival of Wiffen, who is believed to be the first Irish swimmer ever to own a world record.

Hackett had held that 800 free world record since August 3, 2001, less than a month after Wiffen was born.

Wiffen’s previous-best time was also the old European record, a 7:25.96 from the 2022 Irish Winter Championships last December. That ranked him as the 4th-fastest performer in history at the time, but now he’s on top of the list thanks to a different race strategy. Wiffen negative split tonight’s race (3:40.91/3:39.55), taking a different approach compared to when he set the Irish national record in the 400 free at the midway point of his previous-best 7:25.96 last December (3:38.40/3:47.56).

All-Time Men’s SCM 800 Free Performers

  1. Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 7:20.46, 2023
  2. Grant Hackett (AUS) – 7:23.42, 2008
  3. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) – 7:25.73, 2020
  4. Henrik Christiansen (NOR) – 7:25.78, 2020
  5. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 7:27.94 2021

 

On Thursday, Wiffen claimed the 1500 free title in 14:09.11, knocking more than five seconds off his lifetime best to become the No. 4 all-time performer in the event. He was just a couple seconds away from Florian Wellbrock‘s world record of 14:06.88 from the 2021 Short Course World Championships. Wiffen also won the 400 free (3:35.47) on Tuesday, marking a complete sweep of the distance free events.

At the 2023 World Championships, a meet held in long-course meters, Wiffen placed 4th in the 800 free with a European record of 7:39.19, missing the podium less than a second behind Bobby Finke (7:38.67).

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – FINALS

  • World Record: Grant Hackett (AUS) – 7:23.42 (2008)
  • European Record: Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 7:25.96 (2022)
  • SC Euros Record: Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA) – 7:27.94 (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 7:20.46 *WORLD RECORD*
  2. David Aubry (FRA) – 7:30.32
  3. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) – 7:31.20
  4. Victor Johansson (SWE) – 7:33.11
  5. Lucca De Tullio (ITA) – 7:34.08
  6. Dimitrios Markos (GRE) – 7:36.46
  7. Felix Auboeck (AUT) – 7:38.26
  8. Nathan Wiffen (IRL) – 7:39.99

Wiffen trains at Loughborough University in England. His only major international medal before sweeping three golds this week was a silver in the LCM men’s 1500 freestyle last summer at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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Khachaturian
24 days ago

He is gonna go sub 7:20 this winter. Heard it here first!

bubbles
10 months ago

wow congrats daniel!!!

Sub13
10 months ago

Incredible effort by Wiffen! Men’s distance looking ridiculously strong at the moment, so many potential winners for Paris.

Summer Love
Reply to  Sub13
10 months ago

Men’s distance events were the most exciting events in Fukuoka

Can’t wait for Paris!

it's ya buoy
10 months ago

Men’s distance at the moment is packed full of outstanding talent

Justhereforfun
10 months ago

By far the biggest swim of these championships, why is this not getting as much hype as the NAG records?

Swimmer
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

I thought exactly the same!

NornIron Swim
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

The majority of commenters are from the US? And don’t have as much interest/understanding of SCM?

But absolutely, hype it up!

snailSpace
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

That’s how Americans are. SCY is their thing, and these kids are the (very promising) future of US swimming; non US swimfans have to watch/follow various international competitions mid-season,, so we are used to being excited for the great swimmers of other nations, but the Americans have their yards swimming during this time, and why shouldn’t they be excited about their own stuff?
I mostly agree btw, but there is really no use asking this question.

Justhereforfun
Reply to  snailSpace
10 months ago

I’m not saying this in an attempt to diminish the crazy times in SCY, but more of asking the question “Why are we not more excited about the oldest WR being broken, and if us swim fans are not even excited about this, how can we appeal to non-swimmers who don’t even know the significance of such a record?”

I thought about it for a bit, I guess it’s because this WR kinda came out of nowhere, there was no build up towards it and there wasn’t a storyline to follow. On the other hand we were already keeping a close eye on the US juniors, and there was the Williamson vs Heilman and Shackell vs Crush (in the relay… Read more »

Troyy
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

I wouldn’t say it came out of nowhere. Fans have been discussing the possibility of this WR going down since before the meet started.

snailSpace
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

Tbh, I personally didn’t really care about Winter Juniors (respectfully), but I understand why most Americans care more about it than about Wiffen breaking a WR. They are – as a rule – only interested in a random WR being broken if it was previously held by an American. They don’t really comment for example under Australian trials posts (except the trolls), or Euro Champs etc., whereas us “internationals” (or non-USians xd) are active mostly anywhere. There are obviously exceptions, but I digress. My point being: Americans are interested in the American stuff.

mclovin
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

It didnt come out of nowhere. It was talked a lot during this week. It was talked a lot during the year after Phelps’ 400IM record was broken. People were talking about how this was the last chance of the year to break a SCM world record. The record was also demolised, not just broken.
It is just that many US Swimming fans just dont care about swimming outside the USA, simple as that.

Joe
Reply to  Justhereforfun
10 months ago

Because the WR was held by Hackett and not by a USA swimmer

Guy
10 months ago

Swimswam time converter converts this to an 8:22 scy 1000

124swim
Reply to  Guy
10 months ago

If he comes over for the U.S. open in 2024 👀

Mclovin
10 months ago

Why does this only have 10 comments? This is historic. Longest standing record broken. 3’39 backhalf. Insane

2Fat4Speed
10 months ago

I had thought his stroke, turns, and style were better suited for LCM. And maybe I’m still right! Excited to see what he does in Paris. This new golden age of men’s distance swimming is so dang exciting!!

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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