Wollongong made its debut on the T100 Triathlon World Tour this weekend, bringing the series to Australia’s New South Wales coast for the first time. As the seventh stop on the nine-race calendar – preceding the final regular-season event in Dubai and the World Championship Final in Qatar – the stakes were high, with valuable points in the season standings up for grabs.
Waugh Wins the Women’s Race, Rising to the Top of the Standings
For the women, the story belonged to Kate Waugh. Coming into the race second in the overall standings with 119 points, Waugh had already proven her consistency with a win in Singapore, second-place finishes in Spain and London, and a third in San Francisco. In Wollongong, she took the tape again.
The three-lap swim immediately set the tone. Lotte Wilms, Kate Waugh, and Sara Perez Sala emerged together onto the sands of Cove Beach, forming a tight lead group into transition. Perez Sala exited T1 first, followed closely by Waugh and Wilms, with Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle leaving the water 1:05 down on the leaders.
Once on the bike, Waugh wasted no time asserting control. She surged to the front early on lap one of six and never looked back. Her tempo on the bike created clear separation, and by the time she entered transition, she had a commanding lead over her competitors.
On the seven-lap run course Waugh looked untouchable. Behind her, Perez Sala dug deep to hold second for much of the run. But with just 700m to go, Gentle flew by Perez Sala to the roar of her home crowd, sealing second place.
“A silver medal, it was the best I had on the day but the crowd made me feel like I won,” Gentle said post-race. “Thank you to every single person who gave me support on course today, you made that an experience I’ll never forget.”
Kate Waugh crossed the finish line in 3:26:55, flawless from start to finish. She tied for the fastest swim with Perez Sala and recorded the quickest bike and run splits of the day. Gentle finished second, while Perez Sala took third, after having already raced earlier in the day as a guide for Susana Rodriguez, who claimed gold and her seventh world title in the PTVI Para Triathlon.
With the maximum score of 35 points for her win, Kate Waugh now moves to the top of the T100 season standings, setting up an exciting showdown for the women in Dubai and Qatar.
Wilde Stays Perfect in the Men’s Race in Wollongong
Hayden Wilde’s dominance in the 2025 T100 season continued in commanding fashion as he took another T100 victory in Wollongong. The Kiwi star arrived at the start line leading the men’s standings with a perfect 140 points after first-place finishes in Spain, the French Riviera, London, and Singapore. The question was simple: could anyone stop him from making it five in a row?
Germany’s Mika Noodt entered the race fourth overall in the series standings with 93 points. His goal was to “keep the podium streak alive,” after finishing second in London and third in both Vancouver and San Francisco.
The men’s swim proved tight, with little separation across the field. Britain’s Sam Dickinson led the way into T1, followed closely by Noodt, Menno Koolhaas, and Wilhelm Hirsch.
Once the six-lap bike course began, Wilde and Noodt quickly broke clear of the field. The two traded turns efficiently, increasing their gap with every lap. By the time they reached T2, Wilde was first out of T2, sporting his signature Red Bull bucket hat, with Noodt only seconds behind.
The seven-lap run became a showcase of Wilde’s trademark fast running pace. He surged ahead early, creating daylight between himself and Noodt within the first lap. Wilde crossed the line in 3:06:07 to claim his fifth consecutive T100 victory of the season, continuing an unprecedented run of form that leaves him untouchable atop the standings.
Noodt delivered another strong and consistent performance, finishing second just 36 seconds behind Wilde. The Netherlands’ Youri Keulen rounded out the podium in third, his best T100 finish since his win in Singapore last season.
The post Wilde Goes 5 for 5; Waugh Takes T100 Lead Ahead of Dubai and Qatar appeared first on Triathlon Magazine Canada.