Irish swimmer Daniel Wiffen made waves with his performance at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris. The 23-year-old took home two medals, including gold in the men’s 800m freestyle and bronze in the 100m event. But before millions watched him as an Olympian, he’d already performed on many of their TVs, and they didn’t even know it.
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Game of Thrones was an extremely popular show on HBO for eight seasons. Daniel’s sister, Elizabeth Wiffen, landed the role of Neyela Frey in season three. And while he wasn’t allowed to watch the show, he was allowed to be an extra during one of the series’ most well-known episodes, Red Wedding.
Despite Starring In “Game Of Thrones,” Daniel Set His Sights On Olympic Swimming
Daniel also appeared as an extra Netflix’s The Frankenstein Chronicles in 2015. But he found his passion in the pool.
Daniel’s Olympic gold medal was the first for Northern Ireland in 36 years, more than a decade before his birth. The swimmer was thrilled with his accomplishment.
“To be honest, the 800m surprised me at the start of the week,” he shared with BBC Sport. “Coming into this race I was ready. I completely was in the right shape to go a lot faster than the world record but that’s just swimming — some days you have it, some days you don’t.”
A gold medal wasn’t even on his radar. He added,
“If you’d told me I’d get a bronze medal at the start of the week, I’d be over the moon.” he continued. “Now I’m coming away with gold and a bronze. It’s kind of special.”
Daniel’s Olympic run isn’t over. He will swim again on August 9 in the men’s open 10k final.
This story’s featured image is by kovop via Shutterstock.
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