Hayden Wilde Photo: TOMMASO BODDI
New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde blitzed the field at the World Triathlon Championship Series event in Japan.
The Olympic bronze medalist made a decisive solo break on the first lap of the run leg in Yokohama, maintaining his edge to the finish line at the end of the fourth and final lap.
Wilde said he was surprised after a fine swim saw him exit the water near the front of the pack of the Olympic distance event.
Maintaining his grip on the leaders on the bike, the 25-year-old pouced immediately on the run.
"I was really going for that one," said Wilde who had a winning time of 1hr 42min 13sec.
"I just wanted to do a bit better than Abu Dhabi [the last race of the series], unfortunately that was mechanical and I didn't get to show what I really had out there.
"So I wanted to come out here and really give it some."
Australia's Matthew Hauser was second, four seconds back from the Kiwi.
New Zealand's Tayler Reid was 31st.
Wilde's British rival and Olympic silver medalist Alex Yee, another superb runner, was absent from the Yokohama startline, in the the second fixture of the 2023 WTCS calendar.
In the women's race, Great Britain's Sophie Coldwell claimed a breakthrough win.