Wiffen and Hill Top Podium in Barcelona
The Barcelona leg of the 2025 Mare Nostrum swim tour kicked off today as Irish national team swimmers ramped up their preparations ahead of this summer’s international meets including the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore starting on July 27th. The Mare Nostrum Swim Series serves as key preparation competitions for many Irish swimmers, offering valuable international racing experience against some of the best swimmers from across the world. The Irish team in Barcelona includes Olympic Champion Daniel Wiffen and European Champion Danielle Hill.
Wiffen was first up on the blocks for the opening evening of action, competing in the 800m Freestyle. The 23-year-old didn’t take long to get the crowd on their feet, posting an impressive time of 7:45.17 to win gold and set a new Mare Nostrum Meet Record – a record previously held by Norway’s Henrik Christiansen since 2019. The Olympic Champion will continue his preparations for the 2025 World Championships on Thursday when he competes in the 400m Freestyle.
Shortly after Wiffen’s win, Hill took to the pool for the 50m Backstroke Final. The Larne swimmer had qualified as the fastest seed for the final with a time of 28.32 in this morning’s heats. The two-time Olympian blazed through the water to claim Ireland’s second gold of the evening in 27.85, just shy of her Irish Senior Record (27.64). Hill will return to action tomorrow to compete in the 100m Backstroke and 50m Freestyle.
Also in action on Wednesday evening were Singapore-bound swimmers Ellie McCartney, who competed in the 100m Breaststroke (1:08.05) and 200 IM (2:14.94)events, and Eoin Corby, racing in the 200m Breaststroke (2:15.81). European U23 representative Maria Godden featured this evening in the 50m Backstroke (29.33) and the 200m Backstroke (2:16.23). All are using the Mare Nostrum as a key meet in preparation for their respective international competitions.
Racing continues Thursday for the final day of the Barcelona leg before the team depart for Canet-en-Roussillon and the final stop of the tour.
Competition Information
Heats: 8am, Finals: 4pm (Irish)
Ireland National Senior Team 2025 Schedule:
21st – 22nd May Mare Nostrum Swim Tour (Barcelona, Spain)
24th – 25th May Mare Nostrum Swim Tour (Canet-en-Roussillon, France)
26th – 28th June Sette Colli Swim Meet (Rome, Italy)
26th – 28th June European Aquatics U23 Championships
27th July – 3rd August World Aquatics Swimming Championships (Singapore)
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