Reigning WTCS champion Matt Hauser started this season as he finished the last one with a dominant victory in Yokohama.
The big Aussie put together a perfect campaign in 2025, including a win in Yokohama, as he claimed a first world title on home turf in Wollongong and this represented his return to Olympic distance following a T100 debut in Singapore last month.
He and his fellow Aussie Brayden Mercer put the hammer down straight away in the swim as they looked to distance Olympic champion Alex Yee (GBR), racing his first WTCS event in 18 months after focussing on the marathon.
And that plan worked to perfection as Hauser and five other athletes had a near two-minute advantage over Yee and the rest starting the 10km run and that was always going to be too much, despite a brilliant effort from the Brit to work his way up to fifth.
But it was Hauser who took the tape first, ahead of his breakaway companions Miguel Hidalgo (BRA) and Luke Willian (AUS).
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Swim – Aussie rules
There had been lots of speculation beforehand around the tactics Hauser would employ to try and put time into Yee in the swim and we soon saw the predicted scenario play out as Mercer led it out early in what were calm waters on a hot day.
Hauser was on his countryman’s feet and after the first 750m lap they were one-two at the Aussie exit.
Of the other favourites, Hidalgo was fourth at +4 seconds and Yee was 17 seconds adrift in 11th.
Hauser shared the work on the front in the second lap and they were able to double the gap on Yee.
Exiting the water we had a front pack of seven – Mercer, Hauser, Willian, Hidalgo, Blake Bullard (USA), Vetle Thorn (NOR) and Max Stapley (GBR).
It was 25 seconds back to the second pack, with Yee 17th at +37s.
Bike – Gaps grow for green and gold drivers
A great transition for Yee saw him emerge from T1 at the front of the chase pack but it soon became apparent that the size of his group – 31 riders – was a little unwieldy compared to the seven men up front.
Seven did quickly become six as Bullard was shelled out the back but with three Aussies in that sextet there was huge incentive for the green and gold to continue putting time into Yee and co and they proved a cohesive unit.
It was 45 seconds after the second of 10 laps and the pattern continued, with the gap over a minute after lap four.
Yee of course was the biggest casualty and try as he might to drive it on the front, it was soon up to 1:22 and their cause was further hindered by a crash near the back of the group which saw Ren Sato (JPN) hit the tarmac.
It looked like going over two minutes at one point but started to stabilise and was 1:45 when they got to T2.
Run – Yee runs up to fifth
With those sort of gaps the medals looked set to go to athletes in the top six – but would that be the case and, if so, in what order?
A lightening transition from Hauser put him in pole position straight away, with Hidalgo the only one able to go with him – the two fastest runners in that front group.
At the end of the first of four 2.5km laps they were neck and neck, with Willian in touch at four seconds back, Thorn fourth and Mercer and Stapley fifth and sixth.
But the fastest runner on course – and by some margin – was Yee in seventh and he had cut his deficit to the front of the race to 1:30.
At halfway there was nothing between the front three of Hauser, Willian and Hidalgo, with Thorn on the premises too at +7s.
Yee by now had Stapley and Mercer in his sights and the way he cruised past them early on the third lap was breathtaking – by now he was just under a minute down on the leading trio.
When the bell went for the final lap that gap had been further trimmed to 45 seconds but it was soon after that point when Hauser made his move as he powered away from Hidalgo, quickly putting daylight between them.
That proved decisive and he was able to high five his way to the line as he won by 20 seconds from Hidalgo, with Willian rounding out the podium in third.
Thorn held on for fourth, with Yee having to settle for fifth at +44s
Yee is the only athlete to have gone sub-29 minutes at Yokohama in the past and he clocked a fastest-of-the-day 29:08 here. No one else went under 30 minutes!
It all tees things up nicely for the next WTCS race in Alghero, where plenty more big names – including Hayden Wilde and Samarkand winner Vasco Vilaca – will be added into the mix.
WTCS Yokohama men’s results
Saturday 16 May 2026, 1500m / 40km / 10km
| Position | Athlete | Nationality | Swim | Bike | Run | Overall time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Hauser | AUS | 17:47 | 49:45 | 30:12 | 1:38:48 |
| 2 | Miguel Hidalgo | BRA | 17:49 | 49:43 | 30:30 | 1:39:08 |
| 3 | Luke Willian | AUS | 17:52 | 49:42 | 30:36 | 1:39:16 |
| 4 | Vetle Bergsvik Thorn | NOR | 17:50 | 49:42 | 30:41 | 1:39:21 |
| 5 | Alex Yee | GBR | 18:22 | 50:58 | 29:08 | 1:39:32 |
| 6 | Brayden Mercer | AUS | 17:45 | 49:47 | 31:49 | 1:40:29 |
| 7 | Martin Sobey | CAN | 18:27 | 50:53 | 30:04 | 1:40:31 |
| 8 | Jack Willis | GBR | 18:24 | 50:54 | 30:24 | 1:40:48 |
| 9 | Tim Hellwig | GER | 18:27 | 50:53 | 30:30 | 1:40:59 |
| 10 | Braxton Legg | USA | 18:22 | 50:51 | 30:37 | 1:41:01 |
Updated WTCS standings
After two races (Samarkand and Yokohama)
| Position | Athlete | Nationality | Races | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | Vasco Vilaca | POR | 1 | 1000.00 |
| 1= | Matthew Hauser | AUS | 1 | 1000.00 |
| 3 | Tim Hellwig | GER | 2 | 928.33 |
| 4= | Miguel Hidalgo | BRA | 1 | 925.00 |
| 4= | Henry Graf | GER | 1 | 925.00 |
| 6= | Charles Paquet | CAN | 1 | 855.63 |
| 6= | Luke Willian | AUS | 1 | 855.63 |
| 8= | Csongor Lehmann | HUN | 1 | 791.45 |
| 8= | Vetle Bergsvik Thorn | NOR | 1 | 791.45 |
| 10 | Denis Kolobrodov | AIN | 2 | 734.74 |
