Australia’s Matt Hauser has made strong start to his World Triathlon Championship Series season, settling for a solid silver medal after a fierce fight with New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde at the season opener in Abu Dhabi.
The Road to the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Wollongong officially kicked off for the world’s top triathletes, with the sprint distance race marking the start of the seven-stop series, leading to the grand finale in Australia this October.
Determined to put himself in world title contention on home soil, Hauser wasted no time setting the pace early.
True to form, he led the swim from start to finish before pushing the pace in a lead group of six on the bike.
The front pack soon grew to sixteen, with the day’s eventual bronze medallist Vasco Vilaca (POR) in the mix, while Wilde powered through the chase group to bridge the gap.
On the fourth of five laps, the Olympic silver medallist made his move, launching a breakaway with Simon Westermann (SUI) and Tjebbe Kaindl (AUT) to open a 10-second gap. But the field quickly regrouped before T2, setting the stage for a thrilling 5km run.
Hauser, Wilde, Vilaca, Kaindl, and Westermann led out, with the Kiwi upping the tempo early.
Only Hauser and Vilaca could hold on – the trio front and centre as the race hit its climax. By the bell, Vilaca had dropped, leaving Hauser and Wilde to battle for gold over the final 2.5km.
Locked shoulder to shoulder, the two went stride for stride until Wilde threw down the gauntlet in the closing stages. Hauser fought to stay in touch, forcing Wilde to dig deep, but the Kiwi held his advantage, sealing victory by just two seconds.
Despite the heartbreak of coming so close to taking the win, Hauser took plenty of positives from his performance.
“It’s always though getting second, it’s a tough pull to swallow especially when you’re there the whole way,” Hauser said.
“I felt really good out of the swim, felt really good on the bike, but I just couldn’t hold on in the end.
“I just kept saying to myself ‘stay in the game, stay in the game.’ I got out of T2 and really held my position well.
“I just didn’t quite get him in the end.”
A podium finish in Abu Dhabi sets a strong foundation for the year ahead, and the Queenslander is eager to build on the momentum.
“It was great fun out there. I can’t wait for the next one. This is why we love doing it, we love racing – it’s good to be back.”
Australian teammates, Brandon Copeland and Callum McClusky, finished 24th and 37th respectively, as they opened their 2025 campaigns in Abu Dhabi.
