He’s the world #1 and comes into the Qatar T100 World Championship Final with the title his to lose. But as Hayden Wilde himself notes, earlier in the season many wouldn’t have predicted he’d be coming into the Grand Final as the man to beat after a horror bike crash in Japan in the spring.

For most athletes, a crash like Hayden’s (which left him requiring surgery, with multiple broken bones and a punctured lung) would have been game over. But the comeback King showed anything was possible, with a phenomenal return to racing just a few months later at London T100 which has seen him dominate the top spot of the podium pretty much ever since. 

And despite there being a world title (and a $200,000 pay day) on the line, in the final hours before the Qatar T100 race, Wilde was in classic laidback spirits when I spoke to him.

Relaxed and ready 

Many athletes would be feeling the pressure right now. A target on their back and a world title on the line. But it’s perhaps one of the many reasons that Hayden Wilde is able to deliver time and time again on the world’s biggest stages, that he maintains a laidback sense of calm as the hours to the race start to count down. There’s not a shred of energy wasted on nerves or stress.

“I’m feeling pretty good about it,” he said after the pro race press conference. “Looking at the season I’ve had, I’m in a fortunate position.

“I shouldn’t even really be in this position, especially with the year I’ve had.

“I’m just kind of pretty relaxed into it, and I know what I need to do.”

Back in form 

Given his dominance over the T100 series (finishing first at every race he’s started, aside from Dubai T100 where lap counting mishaps and technical issues derailed the men’s race) it’s almost a little scary to hear from Hayden that he feels he’s only just getting back into top form.

The title is his to lose after a series of incredible performances – Jelle Geens and Mika Noodt could take the crown, but both would need to win the race and they’d need Hayden to finish way off the podium to secure the points required. If that type of buffer has been achieved without feeling in top form, could Wilde be untouchable in Qatar? 

“The doctors were saying ‘potentially you can try and get to London, but realistically your top form will come in Dubai’,” Hayden shared. “I feel like my top form was around Dubai and heading into Qatar… I’m looking forward to getting out there and showing what the last few weeks I’ve had in Abu Dhabi have done [where he has been training, alongside women’s series leader Kate Waugh] and hopefully putting that into race day tomorrow.” 

Learning from setbacks

If we’ve learned anything this season, it’s to never count Hayden Wilde out. And the man himself reflected, the year has panned out better than he thought after that crash in Tokyo. 

“It’s definitely one of my better seasons, looking at the setbacks and then what’s to come. Looking at all three disciplines obviously I’m not as strong in the swim at the moment but I know that will come. My bike and run are nearly back to where they were.

“It’s just really nice to kind of start back in London, but then also still be able to race the rest of the season and have the results that I’m satisfied with.”

While no athlete would choose to go through the ordeal Hayden has to recover from such extensive injuries, he believes the journey has helped him to progress as an athlete. “[Coming back from the crash] it just makes me a little more mentally aware of when to take breaks and when to push on, knowing what the body is capable of so it’s taught me a lot of things through the season and hopefully I can use that heading into the rest of my career.”