Wiffen, McSharry & Walshe Headline 12-Strong Irish World Championships Roster

Swim Ireland has revealed its 12-strong lineup headed to Fukuoka, Japan for this summer’s World Championships.

On-fire distance freestyle ace Daniel Wiffen leads the roster with the 21-year-old coming off a monster past couple of competitions which has seen him clock times of 3:44.35 in the 400m free, 7:44.45 in the 800m free and 14:34.91 in the 1500m free.

His latter 1500m time rendered Wiffen the 4th fastest man in history in the event and the Loughborough-based swimmer ranks #2 in the world now only behind Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock of Germany.

Also headed to Fukuoka is Tom Fannon, who used to represent England but is now under the Irish flag. While competing at the Irish Championships earlier this month, Fannon became the first-ever Irishman to delve under the 22-second barrier in the 50m free, posting 21.95 as the new national record.

University of Tennesse’s Mona McSharry and Ellen Walshe are also on the list, with the former wreaking havoc on the Irish breaststroke national records at the Irish Championships. McSharry clocked lifetime bests of 30.29 in the 50m ad 1:06.04 in the 100m distance. She ranks 5th in the world in the latter event.

The youngest member of the World Championships roster is represented by John Shortt, who is just 16 years of age. Shortt cranked out career-quickest times of 25.67 in the 50m back, 55.26 in the 100m back and 1:59.23 in the 200m back to earn his spot among Ireland’s best.

On his nomination, Wiffen said, “Going into the World Championships, I’m definitely hoping to come out with a personal best and I think I can say after my swims at the weekend, being world ranked number one [now #2] in the 1500m Freestyle, that I would be a World Championship medal hopeful.

“I guess that as a medal has never been won by an Irish athlete at a World Long Course Championships that I’d like to be the first to do that. I’m really looking forward to the team that’s going to Fukuoka, it’s going to be a great pre-camp and I can say that my Youtube videos (@WiffenTwins) are going to be very cool, we’ll get everyone involved; a big team will definitely boost the atmosphere and we’ll all be ready to race fast in Japan.”

Swim Ireland’s Performance Director Jon Rudd said, “We had a very successful and uplifting Trials at the Irish Open Championships in Dublin this month and to be able to name such a long list of athletes to our National Teams this summer is extremely pleasing and encouraging.

“The World Championships is an important step in qualifying for and preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and we have a number of names on that roster who can make it through the rounds of racing and feature in the finals where the medals are decided. That is really something to look forward to. For all of our athletes, across all teams, the challenge is to be faster again in whatever event or events they have been selected for in a few weeks’ time.

“When we get to July and August, it won’t be long until the second Olympic qualification event is upon us, the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in February – so every event is an end in itself as well as a means to another end. Congratulations to the athletes selected and to the coaches and home programmes that aided them to this point – and whether it’s Fukuoka, Dublin, Belgrade, Maribor, Trinidad, Crete or Piombino, there will be plenty to keep Irish swimming fans happy this summer.”

Swim Ireland also announced the rosters for the inaugural LEN U23 Championships as well as the European Junior Championships.