Wiffen joins an illustrious listing of BBC Northern Eire Sports activities Character of the 12 months winners, together with Rory McIlroy, Carl Frampton, Rhys McClenaghan and 2023 recipient Ciara Mageean.
“The listing goes on of what number of nice folks have received this award. The title Rory McIlroy stands out to me as a giant golf fan,” he added.
“But it surely’s simply very particular, 2024 was my 12 months. I am caught for phrases, it is fairly a shock.”
When requested to mirror on the place he was 12 month in the past, Wiffen mentioned: “To be trustworthy, you realize you are going to win the Olympics from the Christmas earlier than.
“I knew from that Christmas that I used to be going to win. I suppose now there’s solely a pair extra Christmases earlier than we go to LA [for the 2028 Games] and have that dream once more.”
BBC Sport NI government editor Neil Brittain mentioned: “It has been a implausible 12 months for our sporting stars – making it an actual problem for the judges to pick out a winner.
“It was our greatest ever Olympics with six athletes from Northern Eire bringing residence medals.
“Lots of our prime athletes had a exceptional 2024, attaining success that will have received this award in every other 12 months.
“Nonetheless, what Daniel did within the pool in Paris was completely unimaginable. He advised us he would win and he backed that confidence up with a gold-medal efficiency.”
The judging panel for the award was All-Eire Senior Soccer Championship winner Oisin McConville, four-time Paralympic champion Michael McKillop, Eire hockey Olympian Katie Mullan, Northern Eire girls’s soccer document cap holder Julie Nelson, Six Nations Grand Slam winner Grace Davitt, BBC Sport NI government editor Neil Brittain and BBC Sport NI soccer commentator Thomas Kane.
