Twin brothers Daniel and Nathan WIffen will both be hoping to shine in the pool at next summer's Olympic Games in Paris.Twin brothers Daniel and Nathan WIffen will both be hoping to shine in the pool at next summer's Olympic Games in Paris.
Twin brothers Daniel and Nathan WIffen will both be hoping to shine in the pool at next summer's Olympic Games in Paris.

Sportspeople from across Northern Ireland share their hopes for 2024

By Russell Keers
Published 22nd Dec 2023, 14:42 BST
Updated 22nd Dec 2023, 15:50 BST
With the Summer Olympic Games and other tournaments on the horizon, sportspeople from across the province have shared their goals for the new year with Northern Ireland World.

We spoke to athletes from a range of disciplines, including swimmers, track and field, boxers, bowls players and ice hockey players.

Take a look through our picture gallery to see what they are hoping to achieve across the next 12 months.

Good luck to everyone who responded. Hopefully they can meet their targets.

Good luck to everyone who responded. Hopefully they can meet their targets.

Magheralin swimmer Daniel Wiffen is hoping to earn silverware at his events at the Paris Olympic Games. Sharing his hopes for the upcoming year, Daniel said: "My next major meet is the World Championships in Doha. This will be the last opportunity to compete on the world stage before the Olympic Games in July. I am aiming to join this event and I am aiming to step beyond my previous World Championships fourth position and achieve a podium finish. "I am then planning for an altitude camp to allow focussed training in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games. Going into the Games, it will be the highest stacked filed in history for the 800m and 1,500m. I am looking for a podium finish in Paris in both the 800m and the 1,500m."

5. Daniel Wiffen

Magheralin swimmer Daniel Wiffen is hoping to earn silverware at his events at the Paris Olympic Games. Sharing his hopes for the upcoming year, Daniel said: "My next major meet is the World Championships in Doha. This will be the last opportunity to compete on the world stage before the Olympic Games in July. I am aiming to join this event and I am aiming to step beyond my previous World Championships fourth position and achieve a podium finish. "I am then planning for an altitude camp to allow focussed training in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games. Going into the Games, it will be the highest stacked filed in history for the 800m and 1,500m. I am looking for a podium finish in Paris in both the 800m and the 1,500m." Photo: Contributed

One half of the World Bowls Pairs winning side, Adam McKeown from Newtownabbey, has outlined what he hopes to achieve over the next 12 months as his career progresses in Australia. He said: "2023 was a year to remember for me including making the move to Australia and achieving my first World Championships Pairs gold medal. 2024 brings opportunity for me to build on my success in Australia over the past 12 months. In January I make the move for the second time down under to link up with Tweed Heads Bowls Club again. A few months later I will be flying down weekly to Sydney to compete for Warilla Bowls Club. As there is no major international competition forecasted for next year, nearly all of my goals will be domestic based. I hope to win a first top grade club title as well as reach the finals of the prestigious Australian Open. I am loving living on the Gold Coast and I am very thankful of Tweed Heads and the Irish Bowling Federation for the support given. I am very hopeful to get back representing my country in future Commonwealth and World Bowls Games."

6. Adam McKeown

One half of the World Bowls Pairs winning side, Adam McKeown from Newtownabbey, has outlined what he hopes to achieve over the next 12 months as his career progresses in Australia. He said: "2023 was a year to remember for me including making the move to Australia and achieving my first World Championships Pairs gold medal. 2024 brings opportunity for me to build on my success in Australia over the past 12 months. In January I make the move for the second time down under to link up with Tweed Heads Bowls Club again. A few months later I will be flying down weekly to Sydney to compete for Warilla Bowls Club. As there is no major international competition forecasted for next year, nearly all of my goals will be domestic based. I hope to win a first top grade club title as well as reach the finals of the prestigious Australian Open. I am loving living on the Gold Coast and I am very thankful of Tweed Heads and the Irish Bowling Federation for the support given. I am very hopeful to get back representing my country in future Commonwealth and World Bowls Games." Photo: Contributed

Magheralin swimmer Nathan WIffen (pictured with his twin brother Daniel) is aiming to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. Detailing his aspirations, Nathan said: "Following my success at the European Short Couse Championships, which was my first international meet, where I qualified for two finals swims, I'm planning to build on this with a heavy block of training including altitude training in Flagstaff Arizona preparing me for the Irish Olympic trials in May. During these trials, I am hoping to qualify for the Olympic Games.Entering into and competing in the Olympic Games I am aiming for a top 16 finish."

7. Nathan Wiffen

Magheralin swimmer Nathan WIffen (pictured with his twin brother Daniel) is aiming to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. Detailing his aspirations, Nathan said: "Following my success at the European Short Couse Championships, which was my first international meet, where I qualified for two finals swims, I'm planning to build on this with a heavy block of training including altitude training in Flagstaff Arizona preparing me for the Irish Olympic trials in May. During these trials, I am hoping to qualify for the Olympic Games.Entering into and competing in the Olympic Games I am aiming for a top 16 finish." Photo: Contributed

Ice hockey player Mack Stewart is hoping to win silverware in 2024 as well as hoping to break into the Belfast Giants. He said: “When I was younger, my dad was involved with the Belfast Giants, and I was always around the locker room and on the ice.I learnt to skate when I was about four years old and loved it too much, so by the time I was 12, I decided I wanted to play hockey, so gave up all the other sports, and stuck to focusing on hockey. There’s a ‘Learn to Play’ programme with the Junior Giants, which anyone can sign-up for, it’s a six-week programme where you can learn the basics. I’m still playing with everyone from my junior team today, which is nice. I started with the Junior Giants when I was four-years old and was part of the setup until I was 17, which is when I first got called up to skate with the Belfast Giants over the summer. Adam [Keefe] asked me if I wanted to do a two-way contract with the Giants, and I was more than happy to do that. We’ve got a pretty good team here at MK Lightning, so I’m hoping to win at least one trophy this season. We’re in a good position to win one, maybe more than one, so that’s a goal I set at the start of the season, and I just want to carry it through 2024. Of course, I want to get better throughout the season, and I’ve set myself a target to get a certain number of points, and I’ve managed to start pretty well this season, so I want to continue improving my game over here, which may hopefully help me to get a couple of games under my belt with the Giants this year.”

8. Belfast Giants’ Mack Stewart

Ice hockey player Mack Stewart is hoping to win silverware in 2024 as well as hoping to break into the Belfast Giants. He said: “When I was younger, my dad was involved with the Belfast Giants, and I was always around the locker room and on the ice.I learnt to skate when I was about four years old and loved it too much, so by the time I was 12, I decided I wanted to play hockey, so gave up all the other sports, and stuck to focusing on hockey. There’s a ‘Learn to Play’ programme with the Junior Giants, which anyone can sign-up for, it’s a six-week programme where you can learn the basics. I’m still playing with everyone from my junior team today, which is nice. I started with the Junior Giants when I was four-years old and was part of the setup until I was 17, which is when I first got called up to skate with the Belfast Giants over the summer. Adam [Keefe] asked me if I wanted to do a two-way contract with the Giants, and I was more than happy to do that. We’ve got a pretty good team here at MK Lightning, so I’m hoping to win at least one trophy this season. We’re in a good position to win one, maybe more than one, so that’s a goal I set at the start of the season, and I just want to carry it through 2024. Of course, I want to get better throughout the season, and I’ve set myself a target to get a certain number of points, and I’ve managed to start pretty well this season, so I want to continue improving my game over here, which may hopefully help me to get a couple of games under my belt with the Giants this year.” Photo: Photo by William Cherry/Press Eye

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