The T100 Wollongong delivered a thrilling doubleheader of elite endurance racing, with Britain’s Kate Waugh and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde producing commanding performances to take emphatic victories on Australia’s south coast.
Waugh Flawless for Second T100 Triumph
Following her breakthrough win in Singapore, Kate Waugh once again proved untouchable in Wollongong, leading from the front to claim her second T100 title of the season and extend her advantage in the Race To Qatar standings.
The women’s field hit the cool waters off Cove Beach for a three-lap, 2km swim led early by Dutch specialist Lotte Wilms. Spain’s Sara Perez Sala emerged first from the surf in 23:42, just ahead of Waugh, setting up what would become a solo showcase from the British star.
Once onto the 80km bike course, Waugh wasted no time asserting control. By the halfway mark she had built a 1:17 gap on Hanne De Vet (BEL) and Perez Sala, with Wilms pushing into the lead chase and home favorite Natalie Van Coevorden (AUS) suffering a costly one-minute drafting penalty. Behind them, French Riviera T100 winner Ashleigh Gentle (AUS) began her steady march through the field.
By the time Waugh hit T2, her lead had ballooned to 1:33 over De Vet, with Perez Sala and Ellie Salthouse (AUS) trailing further back. Gentle, renowned for her devastating run, exited transition in 6th place but with clear intent.
Over the 18km run, Waugh never faltered. By halfway her lead had stretched to over three minutes, and though Gentle surged late – passing Perez Sala for second – the Briton remained in complete control. Waugh broke the tape in 3:26:55, over five minutes clear, securing maximum points and the outright lead in the T100 Race To Qatar.
Gentle’s runner-up finish delighted the local crowd and elevated her to third in the overall standings, while Perez Sala’s third-place finish marked her best T100 result yet. Salthouse and De Vet rounded out the top five, both notching season-best performances.
Wilde Extends T100 Dominance
In the men’s race, it was another masterclass from the in-form Hayden Wilde, who claimed his fifth consecutive T100 Triathlon World Tour win to maintain a perfect season record and tighten his grip on the Race To Qatar leaderboard.
The 2km swim saw Britain’s Sam Dickinson and the Netherlands’ Menno Koolhaas take turns at the front, with Wilde exiting the water just 17 seconds behind. Once on the bike, Wilde quickly moved into position behind Dickinson, joined by Germany’s Mika Noodt and Dutchman Youri Keulen in the elite front group.
By 25km, Wilde surged ahead, stringing out the chasers and leaving only Noodt able to stay close. The duo rode together through the hilly Wollongong course, entering T2 with a 2:10 buffer over Keulen and Dickinson.
On the run, Wilde immediately stamped his authority, opening a decisive gap on Noodt while exchanging smiles and high fives with the home crowd. His finishing time of 3:06:07 sealed a commanding victory and preserved his unblemished streak across the 2025 season’s T100 races – adding Wollongong to his earlier wins in Singapore, London, the French Riviera, and Spain.
Noodt finished 36 seconds behind for second, earning valuable points to move into third overall in the Race To Qatar, while Keulen’s strong run secured third on the day – his first podium since Singapore 2024. Koolhaas took fourth, and Estonia’s Henry Raeppo impressed on debut with a fifth-place finish.
