13 Aug 2021

World Triathlon to debut new 'eliminator'

3:41 pm on 13 August 2021
Hayden Wilde wins bronze at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Hayden Wilde wins bronze at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: John Cowpland / Photosport

Wilde is one of seven New Zealanders in the field for the third round of the World Triathlon Championship Series in Montreal, which features an intense schedule that takes place across two days and over a super-sprint course.

The 'eliminator' format starts on Saturday morning (NZT) with qualifying for Sunday's finals.

The fields have been split into two for races consisting of a 300m swim, a 7.2km bike and a 2km run.

The top 10 from each qualifying race and a repechage will progress to the top 30 finals the following day.

The finals are split into three super-sprint triathlons.

The top 20 from the first final will advance to the second, with just the top 10 from that race to then battle for the three places on the podium.

Hayden Wilde wins bronze at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Hayden Wilde wins bronze at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Photo: John Cowpland / Photosport

Wilde is ranked fifth in the men's World Triathlon Championship rankings, which will ultimately decide the 2021 world champion, after finishing fifth at the last WTC event in Leeds.

Fellow Tokyo Olympians Tayler Reid, Ainsley Thorpe and Nicole van der Kaay are also racing in Montreal, along with compatriots Dylan McCullough, Saxon Morgan and Trent Thorpe.

New Zealand is then one of 10 nations taking part in the mixed team relay on Monday morning.

Wilde, Reid, Thorpe and van der Kaay will be hoping to get another opportunity to represent New Zealand in the event, having finished a disappointing 12th in the inaugural Olympic mixed team relay in Tokyo.