New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde. Photo: Photosport
New Zealand's Hayden Wilde has had the world triathlon championship series crown slip through his grasp for the second straight year after coming up short in the decider in Spain.
Wilde had to settle for second place in the final standings behind Frenchman Dorian Coninx who - like compatriot Léo Bergere in Abu Dhabi last November - swooped on Wilde's misfortune to win Monday morning's season decider in Pontevedra and sneak the world title in the process.
Handed a 15-second penalty after dropping and then accidentally drop-kicking his swim cap along the pontoon as he exited the swim, Wilde fought gallantly after opting to take his punishment on the first of the 10km run's four laps.
But the Whakatane 26-year-old could only finish 10th and sat dejected on the blue carpet afterwards, contemplating how his opportunity had slipped by for a second straight year - having finished third overall in 2022 when a bout of Covid affected his in the final race and saw him lose the series lead.
Wilde's hopes on Sunday were boosted when his British rival Alex Yee - the series leader heading into Pontevedra - was blown out of contention by a poor swim.
In the washup, the difference between ecstasy and agony could be measured in mere millimetres.
Had German Tim Hellwig not been out-kicked in the final metres by Coninx, the title would have been Wilde's by a whisker.
Also, he was unlucky his swim cap didn't tumble off the pontoon into the water, in which case the penalty wouldn't have been administered.
"Yeah I had to make a split (second) decision…there was some fast guys in front of me," Wilde said, referencing the swim cap incident.
"I flicked my cap off and it was like, oh yeah, I thought it just went into the water but it didn't, so that was my mistake. But I had Alex with me (out of the water) and I was like well, if I grabbed it, in reality I think I would have been in Alex's group and been two minutes behind (off the bike), and if I left it, I would of made the (chasing) group which I did."
As it turned out, Wilde couldn't get the chasing peloton to work together to bridge the gap to the leading group of 24 which included Kiwi's Dylan McCullough and Tayler Reid who went on to place 21st and 40th respectively.
Wilde angrily gesticulated with the uncooperative posse as the lead and second groups criss-crossed on the final lap, knowing he was in a sticky spot with the penalty to serve.
"Yeah, I'm kind of gutted. I did most of that work on the bike and I was really trying to motivate the group. I just needed 20 seconds, that was all I needed…" Wilde said.
- RNZ