He was the clear favorite coming in, and he delivered in style: Matthew Hauser proved unstoppable at the WTCS Grand Final in Wollongong, claiming both the race victory and – seemingly with ease – the overall title for the 2025 WTCS season. In doing so, the Australian also made history as the first athlete ever to win four WTCS races in a single season.
Heading into the Grand Final, Hauser only needed a podium finish to secure the overall championship, regardless of what his rivals did. But settling for “enough” clearly wasn’t his plan. From the opening swim, Hauser took control, setting a blistering pace that shattered the field. Emerging from the water after 17:49, he had already created unusually large gaps, splitting the race wide open.
On the bike, a lead group of seven athletes formed: Hauser, Henry Graf, Chase McQueen, Csongor Lehmann, Dorian Coninx, Miguel Tiago Silva, and Alessio Crociani. Crucially, Hauser had already dropped his main title contenders – Portugal’s Vasco Vilaca and Brazil’s Miguel Hidalgo – who found themselves in a large chase pack around twenty seconds back.
For a while, it looked as if the chasers might close the gap, but the front seven worked together seamlessly, gradually extending their advantage. By the time they reached T2, they led by a full minute – a perfect setup for Hauser.
Out of transition, Crociani attacked hard to open the 10K run, with only Hauser able to match his pace. The pair quickly distanced themselves from the rest, but within the first kilometer Hauser moved to the front, dictating the tempo. Crociani hung on for a few kilometers before Hauser launched a decisive surge on a short, steep climb, breaking clear for good.
From there, it was a victory parade for Hauser, who crossed the line in 1:42:42 to win both the race and the WTCS overall title. Behind him, Spain’s David Cantero Del Campo finished second (+0:33), with Crociani holding on for third (+0:40).
With this dominant display, Matthew Hauser not only sealed the 2025 WTCS championship but also etched his name into the sport’s history books as the first athlete to win four WTCS events in a single season.