Matt Hauser has found top form ahead of next year’s Olympic Games, finishing strongly to win Australia’s first men’s gold at the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) in four years.
Hauser, the first Australian male to win a round of the WTCS since Jake Birtwhistle in 2019, produced the fastest swim and run times to beat Brazil’s Manoel Messias into second place by 11 seconds. He broke free of a group of eight athletes with less than one kilometre to run, dropping all but Messias and hanging on for the win.
Hauser, ranked fifth overall in the world championship series, was delighted to finish one step higher on the podium than his second place in Yokohama in May.
“After Yokohama, I knew I had a better lead-up in my preparations,” he said.
US Open victory to Wyndham Clark
Wyndham Clark won his maiden major title at the US Open last month, defeating Rory McIlroy by a shot at the Los Angeles Country Club.
“There’s been so many times I’ve visualised being here in front of you guys and winning this championship. I just feel like it was my time,” Clark stated after his win.
Clark has had an under-the-radar career on the PGA Tour but picked up his first tour win in May, securing the Wells Fargo Championship.
Clark had a three-shot lead on Rory McIlroy at one stage in the final round, but back-to-back bogeys cut his lead to just one with two holes to play. The 29 year old held his nerve with two holes remaining, parring both and finishing one shot ahead of McIlroy.
