It’s the crossover we have all been waiting for. Aussie short-course superstar Matt Hauser has answered the call from T100 champion Hayden Wilde for what he describes as a ‘one-race only’ test to see what he has got in the middle distance.
Two of the biggest names in triathlon will do battle in Singapore later this month, with the champions of their respective distances joining an already stellar start list for what is shaping up to be a mouthwatering first race of the men’s T100 Triathlon World Tour season.
Kiwi Wilde issued his open invitation for the likes of Hauser and Alex Yee to join him for ‘some fun’ on the T100 tour soon after clinching his crown at last December’s Qatar Final – Wilde finished the season having won an incredible six out of the seven races that he competed in.
Dominant in the shorter format
Hauser was also prolific at the shorter format, winning the WTCS world championships with a similarly impressive record of four wins and two second places from his seven events. His only other middle-distance race was the IRONMAN 70.3 Geelong in 2025, where a bike mechanical resulted in him recording a DNF.
The field contains half of the current PTO World Rankings top ten – with No1 Wilde, joined by Mika Noodt (GER), Mathis Margirier (FRA), Jonas Schomburg (GER) and Youri Keulen (NED), who won in Singapore back in 2024.
Throw in the 2024 T100 series runner-up Kyle Smith (NZL) and British Olympian and world No11 Sam Dickinson, and you have a world-class race on your hands.
Fans of Hauser shouldn’t get too accustomed to seeing him on T100 duty, however, with the Aussie making it clear that his focus remains on the WTCS this season and that he is only taking part due to the postponement of that competition’s opener in Abu Dhabi due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Uncomfortable situations and positions
The task now facing him will be adapting to the longer distance of the T100, with the WTCS swim of 1.5km extended to 2km, the 40km bike increased to 80km, and the run to the finish line being 18km instead of 10km.
Talking on a video posted to the T100 Instagram account, Hauser is seen getting in some practice on the TT bike as the enormity of what he has agreed to do seems to suddenly hit him.
“They offered me a wildcard; I stupidly said yes,” he says. “There were no other races going on because Abu Dhabi was cancelled. I’ve been sick for a week, and I haven’t been able to get to training, so I have got a long month ahead of me trying to prepare for it, but I’m up for the challenge.
“I think being a world champion and being a professional athlete, you need to forcibly put yourself into uncomfortable situations and positions, and I think that is what I am doing right now. I am putting myself into unfamiliar territory, wanting to challenge myself and see what I have got in the middle distance.
‘We’ve had some exciting and close battles’
“I’m looking forward to testing myself against some of the best middle-distance males, including Hayden. We’ve had some exciting and close battles in short-course triathlon, so I’m hoping to bring that same energy to T100.
“One race, one race only. Dip the toes in, keep the pencil sharp, and then onwards to the World Series, but first a slight detour in the meantime.”
Hauser and Wilde have raced against one another seven times over the last two years, with Hauser winning two, Wilde winning two, and both also picking up a second place along the way.
And Wilde, for one, is delighted that his colleague and fellow champion has accepted the invitation to take part. He even posted his own message of thanks on the T100 Instagram post, saying: “📞 @matt_hauser cheers for picking up the phone 🤌🏼”
Defending champion ready for new season
The New Zealander dominated last season’s T100, with the only races that he didn’t win being those he missed while recovering from his horrific bike crash and the one infamous one in Dubai, where he was leading the pack on the bike before he and two other riders missed the exit at T2.
“I’m looking forward to defending my T100 crown and returning to Singapore,” said Wilde, who claimed victory in Singapore last year before his accident.
“Winning my first T100 last year set me up for a strong season, so I’d love to do the same again later this month. But I know it’s a super hard race with the heat and humidity, so you just have to focus on your own race and hope that it’s enough.
“I said after the final in Qatar last year that I wanted to see more short-course athletes come and toss it up with us. I saw Matty Hauser did a 10km run at the Gold Coast event with Alex Yee and looked to be enjoying it. Fair play to him for now stepping up and taking on the T100.
“I love this sort of racing. It’s a great platform to showcase the sport and enable athletes to show how good you can be individually on the bike and the run, so it will be interesting to see how he goes.”
This year’s fourth event in Singapore promises to be the biggest yet, with more than 7,000 amateur participants of all ages and abilities expected. For more information, click HERE.
