Hayden Wilde says it was ‘an honest mistake’ racing in unauthorised prototype shoes

Hayden Wilde has taken full responsibility for wearing prototype shoes which were not yet authorised for competition when he raced last weekend.

The Kiwi, silver medallist at the Olympics in Paris last year, has made a brilliant comeback following serious injury earlier this year when he was hit by a truck while out riding in Japan in May.

He won in his first race back at T100 London and then repeated the feat last Saturday at T100 French Riviera.

That put him in pole position in the battle to be the T100 World Champion with three wins this year, two more than anyone else.

And the following day on the Cote d’Azur he attempted an incredible double by also racing WTCS French Riviera – but losing ground in the swim proved costly as he eventually finished 11th.

A clip of him at the T100 race suggested he was wearing ASICS METASPEED RAY prototypes, which have been approved for use – but not until after 11th September 2025 under World Athletics’ approval process as set out here.

‘It’s my responsibility’

An email from ASICS on 1st August notified athletes to race only “inline” Metaspeed Sky/Edge Tokyo models and that any prototype use could lead to disqualification.

That didn’t happen in France but it does raise questions in the future around potential shoe checks and subsequent action.

And Wilde has now released a statement, explaining how the situation arose – saying it was “an honest mistake”.

Writing on Instagram, he said: “Since the start of the year, I’ve been racing in the approved ASICS prototype shoes, including during my win at T100 London. To be clear, those prototypes were fully approved and listed with World Athletics as they are fully compliant with all technical regulatory requirements.

“At the weekend, however, I raced in the new METASPEED RAY, believing it was the same prototype I’d been using all season. It was an honest mistake I only realised after the race.

“While my partner ASICS emailed me in due time with instructions around the use of the METASPEED RAY and other shoes and prototypes, I misunderstood the message and didn’t realise it applied to the shoes I raced in.

“That was my mistake. As a professional athlete, it’s my responsibility to make sure the equipment I use is fully approved, and I take full accountability for not double-checking.”

Looking ahead

Wilde continued: “Both the METASPEED RAY and my prototypes have the exact same technical specifications and meet World Athletics’ technical requirements.

“I’m grateful for my Team’s support and I look forward to racing again at T100 Valencia.

“I’ll definitely be spending more time reading my emails.”