Wilde Beats Yee In London Again As He Opens Championship Series With A Win

New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde beat Alex Yee in his hometown race for the second year in a row as he claimed victory at the first round of the 2022 Super League Triathlon Championship Series in London. The 24-year-old overcame a formidable field on the final run leg of the unique Triple Mix format ahead of Australia’s Matt Hauser and Yee.

The dramatic race involving false starts and penalties, eliminations and crashes, would see Wilde gain revenge over Yee after he was beaten to gold at the Commonwealth Games in July by the British star.

The win establishes Wilde as a major contender for the overall Super League Championship Series title, which will be decided in the following four events in Munich, Malibu, Toulouse, and NEOM in Saudi Arabia.

“It’s been a hard few weeks so it’s awesome to retain the title here,” said the 24-year-old, from Taupo in the North Island of New Zealand. “I knew I had to work for it after seeing Matt Hauser take the Short Chute on the run.”

STAGE 1

Controversy arose instantly on the swim with some confusion over false starts, with South Africa’s Jamie Riddle seemingly first to enter the water, but his Eagles teammate Matt Hauser being the man penalised for the offence. Riddle would exit the swim first, with the tight and technical 4km bike course witnessing a major group hit T2 first, with Denmark’s Emil Holme ensuring the Eagles remained at the front of the field.

By the bell of the 1.6km run, Jonny Brownlee and Alex Yee had both entered the mix, battling Wilde and Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca for the Stage 1 victory. Yee would take the honour and the Short Chute points for Team Rhinos, with Wilde and Brownlee close behind.

STAGE 2

Wilde began the run in determined form, with Yee close behind and noticeably carrying his goggles around his neck ready for the swim leg. But the 4km bike leg was next to come, with Yee taking to the front on the four-lap tour of West India Quay (fellow Brit Max Stapley crashing out was a sign of the intense pace). Wilde would edge Hauser and Yee into the water, however, to begin Stage 2’s final leg in pole position. The field was now massively split by the pace on the opening run leg, with Hauser winning Stage 2 some 11 secs ahead of Yee and Wilde to make it all to play for on Stage 3.

STAGE 3

The Pursuit start of Stage 3 saw Wilde, Yee and Hauser all begin close together, the three having already duelled together at the Commonwealth Games in July. Yee edged Wilde and Hauser that day in Birmingham but the three were still inseparable moving onto the 300m swim leg, with the rest of the field way out of the reckoning.

A poor transition from Yee saw the Brit fall 2secs behind on the final run, with Wilde’s advantage obliterated by Hauser taking the Short Chute on the first lap. With Yee falling 50m behind, it would be a battle between the Antipodeans, with Kiwi Wilde overcoming Aussie Hauser to win his second Super League Triathlon London title. Yee would finish third, while Canada’s Tyler Mislawchuk beat Jonny Brownlee in a sprint finish for fourth.