This Sunday, in Pontevedra, Spain, Matt Hauser won the World Triathlon Championship Grand Final in one of the most insane sprint finishes ever.
His race was perfectly executed: Out of the 1.5K swim in the front pack in a scorching 16:53. Hauser rode in a lead bike pack of 11, then burst onto the run course in first place after a lightning fast 15-second transition.
It all came down to the 10K.
Hauser attacked from the start, but the Aussie wasn’t alone. Portuguese athletes Vasco Vilaça and Ricardo Batista stayed right with him, with Great Britain’s Alex Yee quickly closing in behind.
Hauser won every race he didn’t crash in this year. His two crashes cost him points toward the overall World Triathlon title, calculated from events throughout the season. If he could gap Vilaça, he might claw it back.
Vilaça made a move, and Hauser and Yee responded.
In the final straightaway, Hauser ran neck and neck with Vilaça – digging deep into every ounce of muscle fiber – into his very core – to find that extra edge and break the tape for the win.
29:33 for the 10K.
Heart and soul of a champion.
CONGRATULATIONS HAUS! WTCS Grand Final Champion!!
We’re so proud to support Hauser and all of the athletes setting big goals and chasing them down with everything they’ve got.
