September 14th marked a historic day for triathlon in Czechia as Karlovy Vary hosted its first ever World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) race. And Germany’s Henry Graf shocked the field, powering to his first ever WTCS race victory on a day that reshaped the series standings.
The spotlight was on series leader Matt Hauser, who lined up with 3,000 points, a perfect score, already secured from three victories this season in Yokohama, Hamburg, and most recently the French Riviera. With nothing more to gain in the rankings, the Australian was looking to test himself against a large field in the men’s Olympic distance race.
Also returning to form was New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde. After winning in Abu Dhabi early in the season, Wilde has been steadily rebuilding from a shoulder injury sustained in a bike crash. He admitted pre-race that he was not at full strength and was treating the race as preparation for next weekend’s T100 in Spain.
Other key contenders included Miguel Hidalgo of Brazil, ranked second overall after his win in Alghero, and 2023 world series champion Dorian Coninx of France, eager to chase a first podium of the year. Germany’s Henry Graf, sitting fourth in the standings, was also one to watch. Known as one of the strongest athletes on the bike, he had already shown his power with an aggressive ride at the French Riviera event.
Race Dynamics
Out of the water first was Hungary’s Mark Devay, followed by Italy’s Alessio Crociani and Chile’s Diego Moya. Hauser was well positioned in fourth, while Coninx and Graf emerged close behind. Wilde, however, struggled in the swim, exiting nearly two minutes back and shaking his head in frustration.
An early crash on lap one of the bike ended the day for American Morgan Pearson and Greece’s Panagiotis Bitados, leaving a front pack of 15 athletes to set the pace. On lap three, Graf and Devay attacked, creating a gap that steadily grew. Their bold move gained strength on lap six when Austria’s Tjebbe Kaindl bridged across with a solo effort, forming a powerful trio. By the bell lap they held nearly 50 seconds over the chasers, which included Hauser, Coninx, and Hidalgo.
Graf led the charge into transition and set out onto the 10 km run ahead of Devay and Kaindl. The German quickly built a 40 second buffer that held steady deep into the run. Behind him, Hidalgo unleashed his trademark finishing speed, slicing the gap to just 15 seconds with one kilometre to go. The Brazilian ran out of road, settling for silver after a valiant late surge. Hungary’s Csongor Lehmann produced a strong closing run to claim the bronze, marking his second WTCS medal.
Graf’s Breakthrough
For Graf, 23, the victory marked his first WTCS medal and it came in gold.
“It is absolutely crazy,” Graf said afterwards. “You see the level of the guys and you often doubt that you have any chance to even get a podium in a race like this. To do it is just unbelievable… it really has not settled in right now. I am already so happy with the season but to win a WTCS is just crazy. It is what everybody dreams of.”
Series Standings
With his second place finish, Hidalgo climbs to second overall behind Hauser, while Graf moves up to fourth in the standings. Coninx remains within striking distance heading into the final stretch of the season.
The men’s series now shifts to Weihai, China, on September 26th for the penultimate race before the Grand Final in Wollongong, Australia.
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