Alex Yee overtakes Olympic bronze medallist Hayden Wilde to win Commonwealth Games triathlon
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 29/07/2022 at 15:05 GMT
After the disappointment of a silver medal at last year's Tokyo Olympics in Japan, Alex Yee secured a gold medal in the triathlon at this year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The 24-year-old had to overtake the Olympic bronze medallist, Hayden Wilde, who took the silver medal after losing out in the 5km run.
‘Anyone can do this if you just believe!’ - Yee after Olympic glory
Alex Yee won the Commonwealth Games gold triathlon at Sutton Park in Birmingham.
The gold medal follows on from the silver medal that the 24-year-old secured in the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics last year, and came after he outpaced New Zealander Hayden Wilde.
“This is a home Games, it’s the first time I’ve been able to race in front of my parents for a long time,” said Yee after his success. “And at a major Games. I’d probably say that it’s my greatest achievement ever.
“I never gave up, I knew this course is tough, the hill can kill you every single time so for me I knew that if I was able to push on that hill there was a chance I would catch him.
“It’s a bit of a fairytale, isn’t it? I’ve worked hard for this. This is my big race of the year and I’m proud I was able to do it for Team England, my friends, my family.
"Hopefully seeing this many new countries, this is the start for more people to be involved in this sport.”
Wilde was perhaps the favourite coming into the race as he possesses the Olympic gold from last year, and he started strongly when he was third at the end of the swim section. He was joined by Jamie Riddle of South Africa, and fellow countryman Tayler Reid.
Taylor was 15 seconds behind and initially he fell further behind after switching the cycles, but Yee trimmed the gap to 16 seconds with the 5km run to go.
Yee is known to be a strong runner and he quickly raced by Reid and Riddle, and after the first lap he trailed by just seven seconds.
Wilde in fact gave Yee a high five as the Englishman breezed past him, recording a time of 50 minutes, 34 seconds. After a 10 second penalty for putting his cycling helmet down in the wrong way, Wilde nevertheless secured second place. Australia’s Matthew Hauser was third.
In the women's race, current Olympic champion, Bermuda's Flora Duffy, retained her title as Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
The 34-year-old ran to a 16-second lead after two laps of the 5km and there was little doubt she would carry through that advantage to win.
England's Georgia Taylor-Brown took second as the closest runner-up.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement