Triathlete Hayden Wilde wins London T100 race after truck accident

Hayden Wilde during the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Taupō in 2024. Photo / Photosport

New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde has completed a remarkable comeback from injury to win the T100 series race in London in emphatic style.

Three months after being hit by a truck on a training ride in Japan, an emotional Wilde returned to competitive action in spectacular style, clearing a way for a memorable victory in the race comprising a 2km swim, 80km cycle and 18km run.

The 27-year-old couldn’t hold back tears after crossing the line and later reflected on the low point of a hospital bed in Japan, where he began the recovery from four broken ribs, a broken scapula and a punctured lung after being knocked off his bike by a truck.

NZ triathlete Hayden Wilde. Photo / Hayden Wilde

He was in Japan for several weeks in May as he was unable to fly because of the lung damage.

After his win on Sunday morning, Olympic silver medallist Wilde admitted he was unsure if he would ever return to his best.

“If you have a big injury, you’re off for three months more or less and you have negative thoughts like can I actually get back to that level?” he told the race broadcaster.

“It’s easy to do that bike session solo, to do that run session solo, but to put them together is completely different.

“It’s been a big three months.”

Wilde was at his tactical best in London, emerging from the swim less than a minute off the lead.

He stayed firmly on the pace in the bike leg and was too strong for the field in the run, overhauling German leader Rico Bogen with more than 10km to run.

Wilde wasn’t challenged from that point, winning by more than a minute from another German – Mika Noodt – with Greek athlete Jelle Geens third.

– RNZ