Daniel Wiffen arrived in Singapore with the weight of Olympic gold on his shoulders but left the World Championships without defending his 1500m crown. The 24-year-old from Magheralin, Northern Ireland, had battled the aftereffects of an appendicitis attack in June, struggling through the 400m and 800m freestyle before withdrawing from his final event. Yet while his physical setbacks drew sympathy, it was his candid reflections on training that drew equal attention—particularly when he turned his focus toward the United States’ distance swimming “supergroup” in Florida.

Wiffen’s championship campaign never settled into a rhythm. In the 400m freestyle, he placed 16th overall in 3:47.57, a distant mark from his lifetime best of 3:44.35 set in 2023. He did progress to the 800m final, only to

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