Hayden Wilde won a silver medal in the triathlon last night, narrowly missing out on the gold.
Despite being 29th after the swim and far behind in the bike section, Wilde surged to 4th place as he entered the run.
Wilde took the lead over British athlete Alex Yee, known for his fast finishes, at the start of the run leg. However, Yee overtook Wilde in the last 300 meters, finishing in 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 33 seconds. Wilde earned silver, just six seconds behind, while Frenchman Leo Bergere came in third.
Wilde’s performance improved on his bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics, where Yee had taken silver.
Another Kiwi, Dylan McCullough, played a crucial role by supporting Wilde during the bike section, helping him advance through the field. McCullough finished 19th.
Wilde praised McCullough, stating, “If it wasn’t for Dylan, I wouldn’t have had the legs on the run. He deserves the keys to New Zealand!”
In the women’s race, Cassandra Beaugrand of France won gold, followed by Julie Derron of Switzerland and Briton Beth Potter. New Zealand’s Nicole van der Kaay finished 31st, and Ainsley Thorpe placed 44th after a fall during the bike section.
Van der Kaay said she had an average start but was pleased with her swim, while Thorpe described the swim as chaotic and challenging due to strong currents. Despite her fall, Thorpe was proud to finish the race.
