Nicknamed the Falcon due to his propensity to come from behind and pick off competitors, Hayden Wilde has seen an equally meteoric rise in his career. His breakout performance was arguably his bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, but since then he's been battling it out with a new wave of talent in short-course competitions, starring in his fair share of sprint finishes with the likes of Alex Yee and Léo Bergere. We caught up with the New Zealander several days after his third-place finish in Sunderland to take a peek into the future...
220: How did you find Sunderland?
Hayden Wilde: All things considered, I was actually really stoked how everything went. I knew coming into the race I was pretty fatigued, so I was just crossing the fingers and hoping that I could turn up to the race in some sort of shape. It replaced the Abu Dhabi race [points-wise, where Hayden finished 46th after a mechanical].
I ideally didn't want to race the mixed relay, but I could take one for the team. Half our team got ill [an investigation into the water quality at Roker beach is underway]. I was opting to take the day off as I was still feeling a little bit under the weather post-Hamburg, but it was actually good fun. Cold as ever. I've never worn a thermal cap before! You get brain freeze for about three minutes and then you're alright.
220: How have you found the series' varying formats this year?
This story is from the October 2023 edition of 220 Triathlon.
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This story is from the October 2023 edition of 220 Triathlon.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How to Carb Load - Packing your working cells with carbohydrates in the build-up to your big race is a proven strategy to race stronger and faster...
Whichever distance triathlon you're racing, the intensity and duration of your activity will see your body tap into its stores of carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) to power your effort. While it's possible to top up your tank on the go, it's better to start your event with your stores full to the brim.
The Olympic Champion - On 31 July, Great Britain's Alex Yee put together arguably the greatest one-day performance we have ever seen at an Olympic Games to win gold. And we were there at the finish line to speak to tri's new poster boy...
The opening line of the race report read how 20 years on from New Zealand’s first and only Olympic triathlon gold medal, Hayden Wilde had put in a careerbest performance to regain the title for his nation. Then Alex Yee comes around the corner.Yee’s charge, seemingly from nowhere on the final lap of the 10km run in Paris, didn’t just help him become the most decorated Olympic male triathlete of all time, and didn’t just cap a rivalry that has been building for six years, it left seasoned watchers of swim, bike, run in awe. It will go down as one of the greatest triathlon races; Yee, still just 26, as one of the greatest triathletes. His medals from Paris added to the two from Tokyo, leaving his haul at two gold, a silver and a bronze, and counting.
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