Wiffen takes 'chill option' to secure final berth at world championships in Doha

Daniel Wiffen has qualified for the 400 freestyle final at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

Ranked ninth going into the 400m heats, Wiffin put in an impressive performance to comfortably secure his place in Sunday's final (4:02pm Irish time).

The Armagh man was third in his heat and fourth overall in 3:45.52, just outside his best time of 3:44.35.

Speaking after the race, Wiffen said: "I just went for the chill option, I didn’t want to go too fast, my goal was to try and make the final at this meet, because I’ve never done this before, so I mean that’s what I did and I’m happy."

In December Wiffen won three gold medals and set a new world record at the European Short Course Championships in Romania, and the 22-year-old has evidently brought that confidence to Doha.

"I wasn’t really that rested for Europeans and I’m fully rested for this, so I’m looking forward to what this week is going to bring; but 400m freestyle final tonight and we’ll see if I can push up the ranks a bit."

Ireland have never won a world championships medal.Meanwhile, a nervous wait lies ahead for the women's 4x100m freestyle relay, as their Olympic fate lies in the hands of Slovenia.

The quartet of Erin Riordan, Grace Davison, Maria Godden and Victoria Catterson clocked 3:43.95 in this morning’s heats for 10th overall, however, the Ireland teams time of 3:41.75 - which included Riordan and Catterson with Mona McSharry and Danielle Hill from World Championships in Fukuoka in 2023 - was fast enough to keep them in the required top sixteen Olympic places, moving down one place from fifteenth in Fukuoka.

The team’s fate now lies with Slovenia, who would take the position from Ireland if they are quicker than 3:41.75 in tonight’s final.

Darragh Greene,