Hayden Wilde has compared his battle with Alex Yee for the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen's tussle for the Formula One title.
The New Zealander made his intent clear by skipping two races to arrive in the capital city four weeks early to prepare for the event that takes place from November 23 to 26 on Yas Island.
The race will see all three 2020 Olympic medallists in action. Wilde has leapfrogged both Blummenfelt and Lee to find himself No 1 in the world rankings, with Yee not far behind in fourth.
French European champion Leo Bergere is second and Belgian Jelle Geens, who took gold in the 2021 Abu Dhabi race, ranked third.
“It’s going to be a great competition between myself and Alex Yee,” Wilde said at the launch ceremony of the world finals at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council headquarters on Tuesday.
“It’s like the Hamilton and Verstappen race and I’m really looking forward to it. Whoever crosses the line will take the championship world title. We’ve had a great rivalry, so to unite and finish in Abu Dhabi is awesome. Hopefully, we can put on an exciting show.”
Wilde had to settle for bronze behind Norwegian Kristian Blummenfelt and Lee at the Tokyo Olympics. Lee also beat Wilde for the gold in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July with the Englishman hailing that win as his “greatest achievement” even though he had previously won silver in Tokyo.
"Adding a world title to our achievements is a big thing to triathletes,” Wilde said.
“Winning an Olympic medal is what we strive for, but a world title isn’t just one race, its consistency. To join the likes of Vincent Luis is a huge feat and doing it here would be amazing.’’
Wilde said a lot of people had told him it was a risky way to do it ahead of a race with a lot at stake. “It’s a good risk to take with the races I missed are in Europe and Bermuda that requires a lot of travelling,” he added.
“I had made plans and that was to come four weeks ahead of the race in Abu Dhabi and maximize the advantage by adapting to the weather conditions and surroundings.
“I have raced with a lot of these athletes over the last many years and am aware of the challenges. Aside from that, the conditions, the heat and humidity, and the surface that’s a lot grippier and takes a lot more energy. This is why I have come early to experience all that together.”
In the women’s event, Tokyo gold medalist Flora Duffy will be up against current world No 1 Georgia Taylor-Brown of Britain – the woman she pushed into silver medal position in Japan.
The Bermudian also took gold in Abu Dhabi last year and will be looking to add to her long list of accomplishments that includes multiple world titles and Commonwealth gold.
Britain will bring a typically strong line-up to Abu Dhabi, headed by Taylor-Brown, along with fourth-ranked Beth Potter, and seventh-ranked Sophie Coldwell.
The United States will also have three of the world’s top 10 on display in the form of fifth-ranked Taylor Spivey, along with Taylor Knibb and Kirsten Kasper, who are ninth and tenth in the standings, respectively.
Aref Hamad Al Awani, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said the capital city is delighted to host the World Triathlon Championship Finals for the first time.
“Since 2015, we have hosted a series of international triathlon championships, and have organised community races for all ages and abilities, which has led to a significant growth in interest in the sport of triathlon,” he said.
"Now in 2022, we are poised to host the World Triathlon Championship Finals, with the participation of 130 elite triathletes.”
Mohammed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral, added: “We are excited to host the World Triathlon Championship Finals, reiterating our commitment to position Yas Island as a top global destination for leisure and entertainment.”
For more information please visit: abudhabi.triathlon.org.
Dubai World Cup Carnival card
6.30pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
8.15pm: Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
8.50pm: Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
9.25pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections
6.30pm: Final Song
7.05pm: Pocket Dynamo
7.40pm: Dubai Icon
8.15pm: Dubai Legacy
8.50pm: Drafted
9.25pm: Lucius Tiberius
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204.4-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20653hp%20at%205%2C400rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20800Nm%20at%201%2C600-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%208-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E0-100kph%20in%204.3sec%0D%3Cbr%3ETop%20speed%20250kph%0D%3Cbr%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20NA%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Q2%202023%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh750%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Fixture: Liechtenstein v Italy, Tuesday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports
The specs: 2018 Maserati Ghibli
Price, base / as tested: Dh269,000 / Dh369,000
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 355hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.9L / 100km
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Superliminal%20
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Pillow%20Castle%20Games%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20Xbox%20Series%20One%20%26amp%3B%20X%2FS%2C%20Nintendo%20Switch%2C%20PC%20and%20Mac%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Brief scores:
Newcastle United 1
Perez 23'
Wolverhampton Rovers 2
Jota 17', Doherty 90' 4
Red cards: Yedlin 57'
Man of the Match: Diogo Jota (Wolves)
When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
Roll of honour: Who won what in 2018/19?
West Asia Premiership: Winners – Bahrain; Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership: Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins; Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Winners – Dubai Hurricanes; Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference: Winners – Dubai Tigers; Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
