Wilde, Waugh aim Dubai dominance as T100 Triathlon World Tour reaches penultimate stop

New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde and Great Britain’s Kate Waugh touched down in Dubai this week with one goal in mind: extend their commanding leads in the Race to Qatar as the T100 Triathlon World Tour reaches its penultimate stop on Saturday. Both athletes met the media ahead of what promises to be a pivotal weekend with the world championship title within touching distance but far from secure.

WILDE CHASES PERFECT SEASON: Wilde arrives in Dubai on an extraordinary streak – five wins from five starts across Singapore, London, the French Riviera, Spain, and Wollongong. It’s a remarkable comeback story for the Kiwi star, who was racing against time itself after a horror bike crash in Japan in May left him with a punctured lung, six broken ribs, and surgery on his left scapula.

“When you’re stuck in a hospital bed after an operation, you’re like, well, can you get back to the level you were in Singapore?” said Wilde. “Just to be able to get back to the start line and race and have that confidence to get back, I’m super excited for that. I’m just taking every race as my opportunity and not taking them for granted, just getting out there and getting amongst it.”

On the Dubai course, Wilde added: “The course suits me really well. Once we get into the lap circuit, it’s relatively technical with a few small climbs. I think the first lead-in lap is going to be quite important for positioning. It’s an iconic location – Dubai is one of the super cities of the world and to be able to close off a few roads and race within the heart of the city is a pretty cool experience.”

Standing between Wilde and a perfect six-for-six record are some formidable challengers. Belgium’s Jelle Geens – the Vancouver champion who sits second in the standings – will be hunting for the win that could reignite his title hopes, while Germany’s Mika Noodt in third place cannot be discounted.

With just two races remaining before December’s World Championship Final in Doha, every position counts in the Race to Qatar.

WAUGH LOOKS TO EXTEND ADVANTAGE: On the women’s side, Kate Waugh has been equally impressive, finishing on the podium in every T100 race she’s competed in this season and claiming victories in Singapore and most recently Wollongong to establish a nine-point lead over compatriot and two-time Ironman World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay.

With Charles-Barclay not racing in Dubai, Saturday presents Waugh with a golden opportunity to extend her advantage heading into the Qatar finale.