- Fans have praised New Zealander Hayden Wilde
- The Kiwi was outplayed by Alex Yee
- But Wilde was gracious in defeat in Paris.
New Zealander Hayden Wilde saw his historic Olympic victory snatched away from him just 200 metres from the finish line.
But the amiable Kiwi had only kind words to say about his rival, Alex Yee, who defeated him in a dramatic finale in Paris.
With the finish in sight, Britain’s Yee (who won silver in Tokyo three years ago) accelerated and overtook Wilde, who had enjoyed a substantial lead for much of the final 10,000-metre stage.
Yee crossed the line four seconds ahead of his rival, but rather than express his disappointment at seeing victory slip through his fingers, Wilde collapsed on top of the Briton to give him an emotional and heartfelt hug.
The newly crowned Olympic champion described Wilde as a “companion and rival” and said he was grateful to be able to compete against him.
“I’ve been working for three years for this one goal and it’s really special to be here,” he said.
Hayden Wilde has been praised by fans for this act after losing gold in Paris.
Team GB’s Adam Yee edged out Wilde to take gold in the final 200 metres of the triathlon.
“I’m very grateful to have Hayden to have those amazing battles with.”
Wilde was aiming to make history in Paris and become the first Kiwi in 20 years to win gold in the men’s triathlon.
He had a controlled performance from the start, but had no complaints when Yee beat him to gold.
“It was a very solid race and the best man won. I did the best I could,” Wilde told Nine.
“I put everything into this. It was amazing.”