Hayden Wilde dashes to victory at Yokohama triathlon

Hayden Wilde competing. Photo / Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images

By RNZ

New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde blitzed the field at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Japan.

The Olympic bronze medallist made a decisive solo break on the first lap of the run leg in Yokohama, maintaining his edge to the finish line.

Wilde said he was pleased after a fine swim to be near the front of the pack of the Olympic distance event.

He maintained his position during the cycle leg before taking off immediately on the run in wet and overcast conditions.

“I was really going for that one,” said Wilde, who had a winning time of 1:42:13.

“I just wanted to do a bit better than Abu Dhabi [the last race of the series]. Unfortunately, that was mechanical and I didn’t get to show what I really had out there.

“So I wanted to come out here and really give it some.”

Australia’s Matthew Hauser was second, four seconds back from the Kiwi.

New Zealand’s Tayler Reid was 31st.

Wilde’s British rival and Olympic silver medallist Alex Yee was not at the Yokohama race, the second fixture of the 2023 WTCS calendar.

In the women’s race, Great Britain’s Sophie Coldwell claimed a breakthrough win.