Kiwi Hayden Wilde third at elite triathlon sprint race in Abu Dhabi

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Kiwi Hayden Wilde has secured a first podium at an elite sprint triathlon in nearly two years, but then found himself delivering unfortunate news for New Zealand fans.

Kiwi Hayden Wilde has secured a first podium at an elite sprint triathlon in nearly two years, but then found himself delivering unfortunate news for New Zealand fans.

Wilde placed third at the World Triathlon Series (WTCS) race in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, finishing behind Brazil's Miguel Hidalgo and Australia's Matthew Hauser.

After the race, he posted a video message to fans, confirming his withdrawal from the World Triathlon Cup event in Mount Maunganui next Sunday.

The double Olympic medallist said a busy international calendar had forced him to reconsider his schedule.

He was to contest a T100 race on Saturday night and then switch his focus to the T100 grand final in Qatar on 12 December, when he will look to successfully defend his title.

Wilde opted against travelling home next week and then returning to the Middle East.

"Unfortunately, I won't be coming to Tauranga this year, as much as I really wanted to," the 29-year-old said.

"It's a pretty big ask to come back home, especially around racing a double this weekend [WTCS Abu Dhabi and T100 Dubai] and then heading back to Tauranga, and then having to come to Qatar to race the T100 grand final."

"Rest assured, I'll definitely be there next year for one of the world series stops in 2027 and obviously the grand final in 2028. Really looking forward to being there."

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