Australia’s Matt Hauser is on top of the world as he gears up for Friday’s World Triathlon Championship Series showdown in Weihai, China.
The 26-year-old leads the World Triathlon Championship Series standings, positioning himself for a decisive run at the world title as the season approaches its penultimate race.
With points from next month’s Finals in Torremolinos added to the athlete’s top three results from the season to decide the title, Hauser’s gold in Hamburg, silver in Yokohama, and seventh at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have set him up for a tilt at a maiden world championship crown.
But he will have to be at his best, with other results falling in his favour, if he is to defend his position heading into next month’s World Triathlon Championship Finals in Torremolinos.
Currently ranked third and sixth, respectively, Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR) and silver medallist Hayden Wilde (NZL) each have only two scoring results; therefore, a medal finish for either in Weihai would catapult them above Hauser, even if the Australian were to secure the win.
Still, Hauser is eager to ensure he’s in the best position possible as the Finals in Torremolinos approach.
“I’ll be heading into Weihai wanting to improve on one of my Championship race scores,” Hauser said.
“It’s a driving force in my post-Olympic motivation, I know that in the fight for the world title in the last few years, anything is possible up until the final few kilometres of the Grand Final.
“Whilst I’m not getting too ahead of myself, it is a realistic opportunity that does not come around often.”
Hauser will line up for his first standard-distance event since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he delivered a seventh-place finish – Australia’s best men’s Olympic triathlon result in two decades.
And though he describes the result as a “step in the right direction,” he concedes it falls short of his aspirations, eager to achieve greater success in the latter half of the season.
“Paris was a dream to be in and it felt like the world had stopped around us for the games,” Hauser said.
“Off the back of Tokyo and not being able to have the ‘full’ Olympic experience, this definitely made the three year wait worthwhile. All stresses and the anxiety of the race aside I felt like I was really able to soak up my time in Paris and feel like I belonged there amongst my peers.
“My result in Paris was another good step in the right direction, and whilst I’ve had so many nice messages of support and love post Games, it’s ultimately not where I want to be. So naturally the motivation now lies in solidifying that I am better than seventh in the world and to really squeeze as much success as possible in the back half of the year.”
Olympic teammate, Luke Willian, will also be on the start line in Weihai. He is currently ranked seventh in the standings and enjoying a career-best year, highlighted by his bronze medal performance at the series opener in Yokohama.
Rounding out the Australian contingent is Brandon Copeland, who sits 28th in the rankings, with his most recent result seeing him secure 20th place in Hamburg—his best WTCS finish in three years.
World Triathlon Championship Series Weihai – Elite Men
Friday, September 27 – 10:15am AEST
TriathlonLive.TV
Matt Hauser
Luke Willian
Brandon Copeland
To view the World Triathlon Championship Series rankings, click here.
