Hayden Wilde wins a silver medal in the men's triathlon in Paris. Photo Iain McGregor, www.photosport.co.nz
Staff Reporter
Oh so close …
About 250 metres is all that stood between Hayden Wilde and an Olympic gold medal on Wednesday night.
The Whakatāne triathlete looked destined for the gold medal, only to be pipped late by his good mate Alex Yee of Great Britain in what was a dramatic end to the men’s triathlon in Paris on Wednesday night (NZ time).
Wilde, who was well behind after a difficult swim, received a helping hand from teammate Dylan McCulloch, who dropped back on the bike to help power Wilde back towards the bunch.
Wilde, speaking after the race in Paris, said it was as much McCulloch’s medal as it was his.
“I want to say a massive thank you to Dylan McCulloch. If it wasn’t for him coming back, I wouldn’t have done that. He saved me a lot of energy on the bike.
“His effort essentially helped me bridge the gap and get the medal. This is as much his medal as it is mine. I will repay the favour for him in LA.”
The 26-year-old said he would be forever grateful of his teammate for his selfless act.
“It was something special and we had a game plan at the start and if there was some sort of gap he would drop back and help. New Zealand owes him some sort of medal or something because he deserves it as well.”
The silver is Wilde’s second Olympic medal, having claimed bronze four years ago when he finished behind Yee and Norway’s Kristian Blummenfelt.
Despite being well back following the first leg, Wilde was satisfied with his performance in the water.
“I was really pleased with the swim. I was a bit behind but it’s a really difficult swim and you really have to be technically strong.
“I feel I executed quite well but just wasn’t in the spot I wanted to be, but I got back into the race.
“It was just a great race overall,” he said. “Alex slowed up about 2 kilometres into the run and I knew that was my time to go. I got the gap and pushed and pushed and tried, but missed out at the end. We recover now and try and get another medal in the relay.
“I gave it everything. I am really stoked for Alex. We have really choked, if I am being honest, in big grand finals in the world series, and it was really nice to put one on for him and I and to finally have an even race with no penalties; nothing, just a purely good race.”
The change of time and warm weather played a factor as Wilde, like many of his counterparts, had been preparing for an earlier start before the heat really set in.
However, the water quality in the river Seine forced the race to be delayed 24-hours and it then took place after the women’s event.
A bonus for Wilde was having his family on hand. He had shouted them a ticket to Paris to watch him compete; something that was special to him as they’d previously seen him compete only in New Zealand.
Speaking after the race, McCulloch said he was super proud of his teammate.
“I just wanted to do it for Haydo and his family. I was all in for him and really really proud he got the silver.”
Wilde’s effort saw New Zealand pick up its second medal of the Paris Olympics.
The pair, along with female triathletes Nicole Van der Kaay and Ainsley Thorpe, were given a big welcome back into the athletes’ village by fellow Kiwis.
Their attention now turns to the mixed team relay in a few days.