Hayden Wilde completed one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time as he won T100 London less than 100 days after suffering potentially career-threatening injuries.
The Kiwi, who won silver at the Paris Olympics last year, was hit by a truck while out riding in Japan in May which left him with a punctured lung, six broken ribs, and a smashed-up scapula on his left shoulder.
But he never wavered in an intense recovery and produced a quite incredible performance on his race return.
He was less than a minute back in the swim in what must have been his most challenging discipline given the shoulder issue, looked strong on the bike and then unleashed a brilliant run to take the lead and power to a famous win.
Mika Noodt (GER) was 1:07 back in second and Jelle Geens (BEL) was third but with all respect to the other athletes, this was all about Wilde who became the first athlete – male or female – to win two T100 races this season following his season-opening success in Singapore.
It was impressive enough he was even on the start line and here’s how a defining win played out…
Swim – Bergere leads the way
Conditions were pretty much ideal for the swim in the Royal Victoria Dock which featured two 1km loops – with an Aussie exit in between.
A little like the women’s race earlier, things stayed relatively together on the first lap.
Leo Bergere (FRA) led it out a couple of seconds ahead of Menno Koolhaas (NED) but less than 30 seconds separated the first 18, with the only two distanced being Will Draper (GBR) at +57s and Sam Long (USA) at +1:55.
On the second lap the front group was whittled down to 10, Bergere still leading by three seconds from Bogen, with Jamie Riddle (RSA) – who would drop out on the bike – a couple of seconds further back in third.
Wilde at this point was in 16th, with 57 seconds to make up.
Bike – Bogen holds firm
It was nip and tuck very early on the bike but it took Bogen less than 5km to move into the lead.
For the first couple of loops – there were eight in total – Bergere and Noodt were able to stay with him but that began to change.
By the halfway point at 40km Bogen led by 30 seconds – but look who was up to second, Wilde!
Bogen was holding firm though and kept him at arm’s length – indeed he took the gap to just over a minute starting the final 10km lap, with Noodt sticking with Wilde in second / third.
Going into T2 Bogen led by 1:14 from Wilde, with Noodt a further five seconds back and things were set up perfectly.
Run – The Falcon swoops
A super-fast transition from Bogen meant he was out of T2 before Wilde and Noodt were even unclipping their bike shoes.
But Wilde pretty much matched him and in just the first of 18 kilometres it was obvious he was flying. The gap, which had been a minute, was down to just 29 seconds after the first of five run laps.
And ‘The Falcon’ wasted little time in homing in on his prey, getting on Bogen’s shoulder before the 7km mark.
It was a complete masterclass and he then showed brilliant tactical nous again too as he used Bogen as a shield for a little while on what was a headwind section, composed himself and then kicked past when it became more sheltered.
From that moment on it was game over and by the time Wilde started the last lap he was over a minute clear.
Noodt by this point had moved past the fading Bogen as had Geens and they would take second and third respectively.

T100 London results – Pro men
Saturday August 9, 2025 – 2km/80km/18km
Position | Athlete | Swim time | Bike time | Run time | Total time |
1 | Hayden Wilde (NZL) | 26:09 | 01:48:01 | 01:01:20 | 03:17:37 |
2 | Mika Noodt (GER) | 25:25 | 01:48:53 | 01:02:18 | 03:18:44 |
3 | Jelle Geens (BEL) | 25:20 | 01:52:15 | 01:00:19 | 03:19:50 |
4 | Menno Koolhaas (NED) | 25:19 | 01:52:09 | 01:01:01 | 03:20:32 |
5 | Rico Bogen (GER) | 25:15 | 01:47:36 | 01:06:16 | 03:21:20 |
6 | Mathis Margirier | 26:08 | 01:50:07 | 01:03:00 | 03:21:33 |
7 | Youri Keulen (NED) | 26:08 | 01:53:13 | 01:00:20 | 03:21:52 |
8 | Wilhelm Hirsch (GER) | 25:35 | 01:53:36 | 01:00:45 | 03:21:57 |
9 | Gregory Barnaby (ITA) | 25:29 | 01:51:58 | 01:04:14 | 03:23:46 |
10 | Leo Bergere (FRA) | 25:13 | 01:54:24 | 01:03:39 | 03:25:24 |