Dan Wiffen set an Irish 800 free record of 7:44.45 and Sarah Sjostrom blasted a 52.99 in the 100 free as the Swim Open Stockholm concluded.
- Link to results
- Day 1 report
- Day 2 report
- Day 3 report
- Dan Wiffen: Becoming European Record-Holder And Marking Irish History
It was Wiffen’s third victory in as many races, all of them in Irish record time, while Sjostrom put the world on notice with world-leading performances in the 50 fly (25.04), 50 free (23.92) and now the 100 free while adding victory in the 50 back.
Daniel Wiffen: Photo Courtesy: Swim Ireland
Coached by Andi Manley at Loughborough, Wiffen led Mykhailo Romanchuk in the early stages of the race with the Ukrainian ahead at the halfway point.
That heralded a decisive break from Wiffen on the ninth lap and he led thereafter.
It guided him to the top of the world rankings where he displaced Gregorio Paltrinieri and his 7:46.47 set on Saturday at the Italian Championships.
Romanchuk – who won bronze when the race debuted on the men’s Olympic programme in Tokyo – was second in 7:47.12 with Henrik Christiansen third in 7:51.43 with the onlookers having been treated to a feast of world-class swimming in Stockholm.
Splits:
- 55.42; 1:53.80; 2:52.98; 3:52.32; 4:51.01; 5:49.42; 6:47.64; 7:44.45 – Dan Wiffen
- 56.06; 1:54.33; 2:53.19; 3:52.28; 4:51.47; 5:50.50; 6:49.40; 7:47.12 – Mykhailo Romanchuk
The Irishman had served notice in Stockholm when he went 3:44.35 in the 400 for a 2.27sec PB which was a prelude to a stunner in the 1500.
In 14:34.91, the 21-year-old became the fourth-fastest man in history and second European all-time behind only Gregorio Paltrineri with his 800 split matching his Irish record of 7:46.32 set at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest.
An indication – if one was needed – that Wiffen was going to go into what for him were unexplored waters.
Since moving from the Swim Ireland National Centre, Dublin, Wiffen has consistently set about reducing his times and in 2022 has rewritten the Irish record books across the 400, 800 and 1500 free in both the long and short-course pools plus a 400IM mark of 4:11.05 in the latter.
He also made history as the first able-bodied swimmer from Northern Ireland to win a Commonwealth swimming medal with 1500 silver last year in Birmingham.
Sjostrom Serves Notice
Sarah Sjostrom: Photo Courtesy: Alfreedo Falcone/LaPresse
Four-time Olympic medallist Sjostrom split 25.69/27.30 for a dominant victory in her Stockholm pool to become the first woman inside 53secs this year.
Marrit Steenbergen topped the rankings with 53.10 at the Eindhoven Qualification Meet with Sjostrom’s season’s best standing at 53.44 at the Giant Open in March.
Sjostrom’s time is the joint 36th swiftest of her career, underlining the consistent quality she’s executed throughout her career.
The 29-year-old holds the world-record of 51.71 from the 2017 worlds in Budapest and her time was 0.19 outside that in which she claimed silver at the 2022 edition, also in the Hungarian capital.
Bukhov Dashes To Victory; Jefimova Wins 100
Vladyslav Bukhov was the only man inside 22secs in the 50 free with a meet record of 21.92.
Max Litchfield added the 200IM to the long medley, the Briton moving from fourth to first at halfway with a 34.92 breaststroke leg to deliver the only sub-2min swim in 1:59.84.
Melvin Imoudu won the men’s 50br in 27.68.
Two-time European junior champion Eneli Jefimova led from start to finish to win the 100br in 1:06.36 ahead of Sophie Hansson (1:06.85).
Laura Lahtinen won the 200 fly in 2:13.87 and Lucie Hanquet headed the women’s timed 800 free final in 8:45.93.