DANIEL WIFFEN revealed he will not be competing at the World Short-Course Championships.
Instead, the double Olympic medallist is setting his sights on retaining his World Aquatics gold next summer.
2024 was a breakthrough year for the 23-year-old swimming sensation.
Back in February, he won Ireland’s first ever World Aquatics Championships gold medal, taking top honours in the 800m freestyle.
That summer, he made history at the Paris Olympics by winning a gold in the 800m and bronze in the 1,500m.
His double medal tally brought Team Ireland’s haul to seven, making it the country’s most prolific Games.
He was due to travel with Team Ireland for the World Short-Course Championships in Hungary in December.
However, Wiffen has revealed that he will skip the meet, instead setting his sights on retaining his World Aquatics gold in Singapore next July.
The Armagh man said: “I have decided not to compete in the World SCM Championships, as after my extended break post Olympics I want to train and get back to full fitness ready to defend my two world titles in Singapore in the summer.
Wiffen expanded on his decision while speaking to Swimming World.
He explained: “I had a talk with Jon Rudd (Swim Ireland performance director) and we decided we didn’t think it was going to be right.
“I was struggling coming back to training after the Olympics. Andi wasn’t coaching when I came back so I wasn’t really getting what I wanted. He’s coaching now but not at the start so I was struggling for motivation.
“I’ve been training for six weeks on and off; from last week I did about 70k so I’m fully back in training.”
His withdrawal means that he capped off his year by winning Swim Ireland’s Swimmer of the Year.
Róisín NíRiain’s silver medal in the 100m backstroke S13 event and her bronze in the 200m individual medley SM13 at Paris 2024 saw her named Para Swimmer of the Year.
Speaking at the event Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane paid tribute to the athelets
She said: “We are delighted to come together, to celebrate the success of our athletes and to honour those that have helped them to get to where they are.
“It was fantastic to see so many of our community present to celebrate the most incredible year for Irish Aquatics.”
Last month the swimming superstar was honoured by with the James Joyce Award, in recognition of his sporting accomplishments.
Wiffen received the James Joyce award from Stéphane de Bairéid, auditor of the L&H, in the Fitzgerald Chamber during the Society’s 170th session.
