Wiffen treated in hospital after missing closing ceremony

Swimming gold medallist Daniel Wiffen says he is “feeling better” after being taken to hospital with the illness that forced him to withdraw from his role as one of Ireland’s flagbearers at the Olympic Games closing ceremony.

The 23-year-old competed in the 10km open water swimming event in Paris on Friday morning.

The water quality in the River Seine was an issue for the Olympic organisers with the men’s triathlon event having to be postponed for 24 hours during the first week of the Games.

Speaking on X, formerly Twitter, the Magheralin man said: “Thanks everyone who reached out, I’m incredibly disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to be flag bearer last night.

“Yesterday I rushed to hospital as I was very unwell with a bug that I am being treated for, and am feeling better now. I hope everyone enjoys the evening and I hope to be well enough to [see] everyone when we get home.”

Team Ireland, who enjoyed their most successful ever Olympics, will have a homecoming event in Dublin on Monday afternoon.

Wiffen won a gold medal in the 800m freestyle and claimed bronze in the 1500m prior to competing in the open water event and he had described his selection for the closing ceremony role as “a great privilege”.

Wiffen’s unavailability meant that gold-winning rower Fintan McCarthy stepped into the role alongside another swimming medallist Mona McSharry.

McSharry won Ireland’s first medal of the Olympics when she finished third in the 100m breaststroke.