Matt Hauser has made a statement of intent just 17 days from the Olympic Games, taking the tape at the World Triathlon Championship Series Hamburg.
The 26-year-old secured the win in time of 50:03, storming home on the run to secure his second career World Triathlon Championship Series win ahead of Vasco Vilaca (POR) and Pierre Le Corre (FRA).
The win in Hamburg follows his second-place finish in Yokohama, and sees Hauser head into Paris in the form of his career.
“That was tough out there. But really happy to get the win,” Hauser said.
“It’s good to take some good form into Paris, but I’ll take it in my stride.
“It’s a really good confidence booster. It’s not a necessary one and I knew that going in. Whether I had a good or bad result, it wouldn’t change anything for two weeks time. It’s a nice little nudge in the right direction.
“It’s nice to enjoy the a win on the longer road to Paris. I’m really focused on enjoying the moments and the little things in this process and not losing sight of that.”
There was no Hayden Wilde (NZL) or Alex Yee (GBR) in Hamburg, nor two of the French qualified athletes, Dorian Coninx and Leo Bergere.
Hauser acknowledged their absence saying he’s looking forward to welcoming them back to the start line in Paris.
“There were a few big dogs missing out there, but in two weeks’ time they’ll fill in the gaps and we’ll have a good showdown.
“You’ve got to beat the best to be the best. Certainly we want the Olympic Games to be the culmination of the world’s best athletes those guys have shown over the past few years they’re the ones to beat.
“They’re leading the charge at the moment and I really want to be with them come crunch time in Paris.”
Both Hauser, and Paris 2024 teammate Luke Willian launched genuine World Championship title bids in Hamburg. Willian finishing eleventh on the day to retain top spot in the rankings, while with the win Hauser moves up to second.
In other Australian results, Brandon Copeland finished 20th – his best World Triathlon Championship Series result since 2022. Paris-bound duo Sophie Linn and Natalie Van Coevorden finished 21st and 22nd respectively, while Ellie Hoitink finished in 43rd place.
Reflecting on his and his teammates’ recent performances, Hauser expressed pride in Australia’s current standing in the triathlon scene.
“It’s great for Luke to have another soild result. We’re one-and-two in the world at the moment – leading into Paris, that’s pretty cool,” Hauser said.
“We were seen as one of the strongest countries in triathlon only a little while back, for us to slip back in the rankings is a tough pill to swallow, but it’s something I’ve taken on my shoulders and I really want to flip the script. People like Luke, Sophie, and Nat having good results out there today as well really confirms we’re well on our way to doing that.
“I think that Paris will be a really good step forward. If we can keep this momentum going, hopefully we can encourage and inspire the next generation coming through in Australia and become one of the greats in triathlon again.”
