Belgian Jelle Geens (left) and Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde (right) celebrate after coming first and second respectively in the IronMan 70.3 World Championships in Taupō. Photo / Getty Images
Belgian Jelle Geens (left) and Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde (right) celebrate after coming first and second respectively in the IronMan 70.3 World Championships in Taupō. Photo / Getty Images
Taupō turned on a spectacular show for the IronMan 70.3 World Championships with two of the district’s favourite athletes - Hayden Wilde and Kinloch’s Kyle Smith - occupying half of the top four spots in the men’s race on Sunday.
Despite not being his specialist triathlon distance, Taupō-born Wilde looked like he might take the crown, before Belgian Jelle Geens got past him in the second half of the run. Smith finished in fourth place to cap off a successful weekend for the local athletes.
Almost 20,000 athletes and supporters filled every spare room in Taupō, which has a resident population of 27,000 people, pumping at estimated $20 million into the local economy.
Wilde was accompanied by a steady group of followers on bikes and e-scooters as he made his way around the lakeside run course.
In a post-match interview Wilde said he felt like the cycle went well but probably went out too hard at the start of the run.
“I felt like I rode appropriately. I know these roads like the back of my hand and I know that as soon as you hit View Rd there is potential of opening a gap, and I got that gap and I felt really confident going in (to the run).
“It is really hard to slow yourself down in that first 10k (of the run) and I just couldn’t do it, I was too excited and went out probably too hard and that is learning.”
Hayden Wilde nears the finish line in the IronMan 70.3 World Championship 2024 in Taupō. Photo / Getty Images
Wilde looked on track for the title during the early stages of the run, but in a repeat of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Wilde couldn’t quite keep up the pace during the final few kilometres and with three-time Olympian Jelle Geens (Belgium) flying, the lead changed hands after the 18km mark.
Geens went on to claim victory in a new IronMan 70.3 World Championship best time of 3:32:09. Wilde was second, over a minute behind the Belgian in 3:33:22, with Leo Bergere (France), also in a repeat of Paris, third in 3:35:08. Taupō-raised Kyle Smith (NZ) was fourth in 3:37:51.
Wilde was eighth out of the water, 32 seconds behind the leader Greg Harper (United States), but powered through T1 and got to work immediately on the bike to form a lead group of eight athletes including defending champion Rico Bogen (DEU), Geens, Bergere, and Smith.
The lead group would ride together for the majority of the 90km bike course, but it was Wilde who entered T2 first, again not wasting any time through transition and was out onto the 21.1km run course in a flash. It looked like there might be no catching the Kiwi as he put almost a minute into Geens by the 13km mark, but it would be a pace Wilde unfortunately could not sustain. Geens began to reel in the Kiwi and eventually made the pass for the lead at the 18km mark – and within a kilometre gapped Wilde by more than 30 seconds.
Cheered along with every step by an ecstatic home crowd, Wilde kept pushing to cross the line in second and earn a US$45,000 payday.
Fellow Kiwi Smith fought hard all day, with the Taupō native exiting the water just behind Wilde, 33 seconds off the lead. Smith pushed hard on the bike, getting himself into a great position to challenge for a podium position. He hit the run course in fifth position, quickly moving up to third in the first 2km, before eventually having to settle for fourth.
Every vantage point was taken as spectators watch the women's race at the 2024 IronMan World Championship in Taupō. Photo / Dan Hutchinson
“I just want to thank this whole town of Taupō, I owe my whole career to this town, I wouldn’t be a triathlete without the community, without the support. Ngā mihi to Taupō, ngā mihi to my whānau, my whole team,” said Smith. “This community got me to fourth place today, I wasn’t feeling it, I wasn’t feeling great all day, I didn’t have the fitness, but I had the fight because of you guys.”
Wanaka’s Braden Currie crossed the line in 14th position, less than 30 seconds clear of Ben Hamilton in 16th. Jack Moody was the next local, finishing in 20th, one place ahead of Mike Phillips.
