574 days later: Dylan McCullough’s long road back from injury finally leads to China

Dylan McCullough selflessly put country before personal ambition at his maiden Olympic Games campaign. Now the Paris hero quietly hopes the sport will repay the favour by tempering expectation levels as he begins his comeback bid for Los Angeles 2028.

After 18 frustrating months sidelined by associated spine and Achilles injuries, the 25-year-old Aucklander lines up in Asia Triathlon Cup Lianyungang on Saturday alongside countrymen Joel Lange, William Taylor and Christian Davey.

After another strong Oceania season, Lange is headily ranked 7^th for the Chinese sprint but all eyes inevitably fall on McCullough given his place in Kiwi Olympic triathlon lore after helping drag Hayden Wilde into gold medal contention at Paris ’24.

Saturday will mark exactly 574 days since McCullough’s last race, a breakaway and breakthrough World Triathlon Cup win in Tongyeong. The win in South Korea in late October 2024 continued the unassuming Kiwi’s meteoric rise up the World Triathlon rankings – he’s placed 8^th at WTCS Weihai shortly after Paris, got sick at the U23 worlds but put that disappointing 8^th behind him in Tongyeong.

And then his body protested. Painfully.

“Last year had a lot of challenges with an almost complete stress fracture in my spine along with an Achilles tear, both of which have taken a long time to recover from,” McCullough told SBR-Tri.com.

“I’m just happy to be healthy again and in a good place mentally. The last few months have been based in Australia rehabbing and rebuilding with some great people.”

The Gold Coast immersion under the watchful, long-distance gaze of coach Greg Fraine has been energising physically and emotionally. McCullough just hopes he’ll be given some wriggle room results wise to ease back into top-flight competition.

The Continental Cups in China and the following weekend at Osaka Castle in Japan are a chance to get back in the washing machine that are Conti Cup swims and then take it from there. World Cups and WTCS starts are the target now the LA 28 qualification window has opened but for now, it’s all about small steps.

“I’m not too sure where my fitness is at after such a long time away from racing and I have no expectations. China and Japan are just a hit out to see where I’m at and then we’ll re-evaluate things,” McCullough said.

“It’s just good to be back on a start line again.”

Ahem to that.