Many thought it couldn’t be done. Just three months after a devastating crash that left him with a broken shoulder blade and four fractured ribs, New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde has completed a fairytale comeback – taking a stunning victory at the T100 London.
Swim: Bergere Leads the Pack
The men’s race began with a tightly packed field exiting the two-kilometre swim. France’s Leo Bergere was first to shore in 25:13, closely followed by Rico Bogen, the always-strong Menno Koolhaas, and Jelle Geens. Just seconds behind them came Antonio Benito Lopez, Mika Noodt, Justus Nieschlag, Gregory Barnaby, and Wilhelm Hirsch.
Further back, Mathis Margirier and Wilde emerged roughly a minute down – well within striking distance for the bike leg.
Bike: Bogen Turns the Screws
For the first 20 kilometres, Bogen, Bergere, Noodt, Geens, and Koolhaas worked together in a five-man lead group. Then, Bogen shifted up a gear, stretching the elastic and forcing splits. As the kilometres ticked by, riders further down the field began to lose significant time – though Wilde was an exception.
In his first race back from injury, the Kiwi powered through the chase, moving into second position just 31 seconds behind Bogen with 30 kilometres to go. Noodt was another ten seconds back in third. Bergere, Margirier, Geens, and Koolhaas, meanwhile, were slipping into the two-to-three-minute range.
In the closing stages of the bike, Bogen clearly wasn’t content with his slender buffer. He hammered the pace again, reaching T2 with a 1:14 advantage over Wilde and Noodt. Margirier followed in fourth, 3:24 down, while Koolhaas – also returning from injury – arrived in fifth, 4:27 off the front, alongside Barnaby and Geens.
Run: Wilde Strikes in Front of the Crowd
Bogen didn’t ease off into the run, but within six kilometres Wilde had reeled him in – a display that answered pre-race questions about whether he could compete at the highest level so soon after his crash.
Interestingly, Wilde chose not to pass immediately, instead tucking in behind to recover briefly. But at the stadium pass-through, with the crowd roaring, he surged decisively into the lead. Within a few hundred metres, the gap opened dramatically.
Bogen began to fade, his pace dropping, while Noodt – running strongly in second – kept Wilde’s lead at around a minute. Koolhaas, running brilliantly, outlasted Margirier and then picked off the struggling Bogen to move into fourth. Geens, meanwhile, climbed into third with a steady, controlled performance.
The Finish: A Dream Comeback
With the result all but secured, Wilde enjoyed his final kilometres, crossing the line in 3:17:37 for an emotional and emphatic victory. Noodt claimed second in 3:18:44, and Geens completed the podium in 3:19:50. Koolhaas capped his own comeback story with a strong fourth place, while Bogen, after a valiant early effort, slipped down the order.