Hayden Wilde finally hit gold in Abu Dhabi on his sixth attempt, racing away to victory in the World Triathlon Championship Series opener at Hudayriyat Island on Saturday.
The New Zealander kicked off the final stretch of the run to win in 48 minutes and 21 seconds, snatching first place from Australian Matthew Hauser who was two seconds behind in second, and Portuguese Vasco Vilaca 18 seconds further down in third.
Wilde spent a month preparing at Hudayriyat Island, which he considers his second home away from his native town Taupo in north New Zealand.
“It’s my second home, I've been here for about four weeks, and you know they just welcomed me in with open arms and I've just been loving it here,” Wilde said of his first win in Abu Dhabi.
“I got a breakaway with one of my mates again and didn't really stick but we had some fun out there,” the Olympic double medallist said of his tussle with Hauser.
“I've raced Matt over the 5k many times and I saw his coach and he was like one more push and I'm like, I know for sure he's got one more push, so I just had to hold the pace and he was coming hot and I was just happy to hold on.
“I don't know how many of these World Series I'll do, but it's nice to be back and getting a win here for the first time.”
Hauser acknowledged that he 'just couldn’t hold on' at the end when Wilde launched for the final stretch.
“It's always tough getting second and it's tough to follow, especially when you're there the whole way,” he added.
“I felt really good out of the swim and felt really good on my bike, a new bike from Specialized, which was really nice around those corners and held its speed. But yeah, just couldn't hold on in the end.”
The 2020 World Championship silver medallist Vilaca joined them on the podium. The Portuguese took a lot of positives from the opening race of the world series.
“I'm very happy with the third place, first race of the season, very early, so I think it's a great start to the season,” he said.
“I'm quite happy to give it a go with these guys again. They really made me suffer today. I think the legs have woken up and we're ready to get into 2025.
“This new course, of course. The F1 course (Yas Marina in the previous years) is kind of legendary, but this track, I mean this whole island they've just finished building is amazing.”
Lisa Tertsch led a top three finish for Germany in the elite women’s race. The Olympic gold medallist in the mixed relay in Paris pipped her compatriots Nina Eim and Laura Lindemann in a sprint to the finishing line.
Leonie Periault of France, who stayed on with the leading group of four, just didn’t have the legs in the end.
“I'm happy with my execution (of the swim, cycling and run) but also I prepared really well, so, I just executed what I prepared for,” Tertsch said after completing the race in 54 minutes and 28 seconds.
“It was a cat and mouse game over the last lap but that's why it's racing, and everyone has to play their cards and go with what they're good at. I knew what I wanted to do in the end and so I went with my plan,” the 26-year-old Harvard graduate in economics said.
Eim finished second, just two seconds behind for her first podium of the World Series.
“It was a big goal for me to get on the podium one day and now I already achieved it in the first race of the season,” Eim said.
“I couldn't expect a better start to the season. I told myself the whole time, 'you can do this, you can do this, you want to get a podium', and the last km was really, really hard. I gave everything I had and I'm so happy that I got second.”
Results
Elite Men:
1. Hayden Wilde (NZL) 48min 21sec
2. Matthew Hauser (AUS) +00.02
3. Vasco Vilaca (POR) +00.18
4. Adrien Briffod (SUI) +00.34
5. Henry Graf (GER) +00.34
Elite Women:
1. Lisa Tertsch (GER) 54.28
2. Nin Eim (GER) +00.02
3. Laura Lindemann (GER) +00.03
4. Leonie Periault (FRA) +00.07
5. Tanja Neubert (GER) +00.18
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
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David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
More coverage from the Future Forum
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
