Wiffen Withdraws from World Championships Following Illness Setback

Olympic gold medallist Daniel Wiffen has pulled out of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore as he continues to recover from a bout of appendicitis suffered in June, Sport360NG reports.

The 24-year-old, who hails from Magheralin, had been competing in the 800m freestyle final on Wednesday, where he placed eighth. Despite a strong start in defence of his title, Wiffen visibly struggled in the latter stages and faded from contention.

After the race, he revealed that he began to experience severe discomfort midway through. “My stomach was in pieces after the halfway point,” he admitted.

Wiffen had only narrowly secured a place in the 800m final, qualifying as the slowest from the heats. He had previously said he felt “really weak” following that swim. On Sunday, he finished 16th in the 400m heats, further highlighting his ongoing physical challenges.

The Irish swimmer was scheduled to defend his 1500m freestyle world title on Saturday but has now opted to step away from the competition to prioritise his recovery.

In a statement, Wiffen said: “Just to let everyone know I have medically withdrawn from the World Championships in Singapore due to the appendicitis that I suffered from in June. Thank you for all the support in last night’s final. I wasn’t physically at my best, but I’ll be working towards getting back to full fitness and winning shape soon.”