Wiffen Clocks 7:30.06 SCM 800 Free On Night 2 Of BUCS Championships

2023 BRITISH UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES (BUCS) SC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day two of the 2023 British Universities & Colleges (BUCS) Short Course Championships saw another powerful performance by Irishman Daniel Wiffen of Loughborough.

Competing in the men’s 800m freestyle, the World Championships finalist ripped a winning effort of 7:30.06 to get to the wall nearly 11 seconds ahead of the competition.

22-year-old Wiffen’s time registered as the 2nd-best of his career, sitting only behind the 7:25.96 he produced in December of last year to establish a new European Record in the event.

Wiffen now ranks as the #1 swimmer in the world, with the European Short Course Championships on the horizon.

2023-2024 SCM Men 800 Free

DanielIRL
WIFFEN
12/10
7:20.46 WR
2 David
AUBRY
FRA7:30.3212/10
3Mykhailo
ROMANCHUK
UKR7:31.2012/10
4Victor
Johansson
SWE7:33.0111/05
5Sven
Schwarz
GER7:34.0511/18
View Top 31»

Loughborough’s Lily Booker powered her way to gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke, beating out teammate Sophie Hansson and Edinburgh’s Kara Hanlon in a super tight race.

Among the 3, Booker trailed at the halfway mark (1:08.61), with Hansson getting to the wall first in 1:07.90, followed by Hanlon’s 1:08.33.

But Booker turned it on for the back half, including a final 50m split of 36.73 to ultimately touch first in 2:22.13. Hansson settled for silver in 2:22.55 while Hanlon bagged bronze in 2:22.72.

Hansson would later grab the gold in the 50m breast over Tatiana Belonogoff who touched in 29.75 for silver.

Birmingham’s Oliver Morgan established a new lifetime best en route to gold in the men’s 50m back. The British national champion scored a time of 23.53 as the sole swimmer under the 24-second threshold in the race.

Entering this competition, Morgan’s personal best rested at the 23.68 notched just earlier this month. However, knocking another .15 off that mark renders the 20-year-old GBR’s 4th-best performer ever.

Stirling’s Lucy Grieve posted a head-turning time of 57.00 to win the women’s 100m butterfly event over teammate Keanna MacInnes and Loughborough’s Laura Stephens.

Grieve had never before been under 58 seconds in this event, owning a personal best of 58.88 from the 2021 Scottish Winter Championships. However, splitting 27.09/29.91, Grieve registered the swim of her life to establish a new Scottish national record.

MacInnes earned silver in 58.29 while Stephens rounded out the top 3 in 58.45.

Grieve not only took gold but she ranks as GBR’s 5th-fastest female ever and now ranks #1 in the world this season.

2023-2024 SCM Women 100 Fly

2Angelina
Köhler
GER55.5012/09
3ARINA
SURKOVA
RUS55.6311/25
4Anna
NTOUNTOUNAKI
GRE55.9812/09
5 Ellen
WALSHE
GBR56.6712/09
View Top 31»

Additional Day 2 Winners

  • Loughborough’s Calvin Fry logged 21.74 for the men’s 50m freestyle gold, while teammate Kornelia Fiedkiewicz followed suit for the women in 24.40.
  • Greg Butler hit a time of 2:08.54 to win the men’s 200m breast by nearly one second for Loughborough.
  • The women’s 50m back saw Lauren Cox get it done for gold in 27.27.
  • Loughborough’s Lucie Hanquet clocked 8:21.86 to beat out the 1500m freestyle winner here Fleur Lewis by just .02.
  • Swansea’s Lewis Fraser earned gold in the men’s 100m fly in 50.98. His outing checked in as his first-ever performance under the 51-second barrier and Fraser is now GBR’s 11th-fastest man in history.
  • Following up on his 100m IM BUCS Record from night 1, Edinburgh’s Archie Goodburn claimed men’s 50m breast gold in 26.92.
  • Cam Brooker of Bath matched his lifetime bet of 1:52.80 from 2 years ago to claim gold in the men’s 200m back. Loughborough’s Honey Osrin earned gold in the women’s race in 2:05.70.
  • The men’s 400m IM saw Charlie Hutchison produce a winning effort of 4:09.62 while European Championships gold medalist Katie Shanahan of Stlring collected women’s gold in 4:31.93, just .10 off her best-ever.

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Former Big10
11 months ago

Distance free is a must watch, at the international level, and it’s much more fun than expected. Hoping the lads can all stay healthy. Wouldn’t mind if Wellbrock and Paltrinieri took one of the open waters off, but their Nat’l team’s are also very competitive. Interesting storylines, too, a la Hafnaoui… Paris should be an all-time great race.

SHRKB8
Reply to  Former Big10
11 months ago

Couldn’t agree more. Wiffen hasn’t swim his best races on the international stage yet but he certainly could shake things up even more when he does. 400-1500 will be lit in Paris and I think a couple of the Openwater greats might need to prioritise the 1500 if they are going to be competitive with the new crop of 1500 racers going around at the moment. Interesting times ahead if you love distance racing.

Pieter H
Reply to  SHRKB8
11 months ago

Wiffen hasn’t swim his best races on the international stage yet

False.

Wiffen set 800 free PB and European record, 7:39.19 to finish 4th in Fukuoka.

Last edited 11 months ago by Pieter H
SHRKB8
Reply to  Pieter H
11 months ago

Clarifying that I meant – I think he has better races in him and we haven’t seen the best of him on an international stage yet. I feel international success will happen in my opinion, just a matter of when.

Pieter H
Reply to  SHRKB8
11 months ago

I mean, that would be the same as many young elite distance male swimmers: we haven’t seen the best of Short, Hafnaoui, Mertens on international stage, if we think about their potential.

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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