Hayden Wilde is helped off the finish line after finishing 2nd in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship Pro Men race held in Taupo, New Zealand, 2024. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand triathlete Hayden Wilde plans to step back from the Olympic distance in an effort to refresh himself for another tilt at an Olympic gold medal.
Wilde ended another busy year with a second place finish at the World Half Ironman Championships in Taupō on Sunday.
In July the 27-year-old added an Olympic silver medal in Paris to the bronze he won in Tokyo.
He also finished the 2024 as the number one ranked male triathlete.
With no triathlon in the next Commonwealth Games in 2026, Wilde said he would move away from the Olympic distance over the next two years to give himself a break before building to LA 2028.
"Just have a mental break, I won't be focusing hard on the (World Triathlon Championship) series, I might just do one or two races a year to keep my ranking up," Wilde told Morning Report.
"As soon as the LA Olympic window opens I'll be back full time in short course, but for now I'll experience the longer stuff, it'll be nice to have a refresher."
Wilde will compete in the Abu Dhabi world series event in February but won't race again in the competition until October.
His plan is to compete more over the half Ironman distance in 2025.
The Olympic triathlon distance involves a 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run, whereas the half Ironman is a 1.9km swim, 90km bike and 21.1km run.
Second placed Hayden Wilde during the bike section of the 2024 Ironman 70.3 World Championship men’s race in Taupo. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In Taupō on Sunday Wilde was in front as he started the final run phase, but was caught by Belgian Jelle Geens. It had shades of the Paris Olympics this year when he was overtaken by Briton Alex Yee on the run.
He admits the longer distance is a completely different feeling.
"It's all about pacing, with Olympic distance we all go full gas for two hours and hopefully get to the finish line first.
"This was my third half Ironman and it's all about patience."
Wilde admits there has been a huge emphasis on his swimming over the last three years and that affected his ability to improve his bike and run.
"Now that I have the swim where I want it to be, I can focus on all three disciplines equally."
Wilde has no plan to compete in the full Ironman until after the LA Olympics.
"I don't want to lose all my speed and as soon as you start training for an Ironman it's a long day and it takes away your speed.
"After 2028 I'd love to go to Kona (Hawaii, World Ironman Championship)."
