Overview
- Olympic 800m champion Daniel Wiffen said Wednesday he will leave his California training base if he does not “swim fast” at next week’s Irish Open in Bangor.
- He set clear benchmarks to judge progress, targeting under 14:40 in the 1500m, about 7:42 in the 800m, and about 3:44 in the 400m.
- The Irish Open runs 8–12 April and also serves as Commonwealth Games trials, so his times will shape both selection and his training plan.
- Wiffen moved from five years at Loughborough to UC Berkeley last year to join his twin Nathan, trading high-mileage solo grind for faster group work with fewer metres and more lifestyle distractions.
- He links the decision to his long-term aim of multiple golds at Los Angeles 2028 after rebounding from appendicitis to win 1500m gold and two bronzes at December’s European short-course meet.