🦅 Hayden Wilde has teed up another of his now trademark back-to-back race weekends after being confirmed as top seed for the hastily arranged T100 Dubai on Saturday week.
The Kiwi talisman and countryman Kyle Smith have been named for the November 14 race which replaces T100 Saudi Arabia after the Jeddah race, originally scheduled for November 27, was postponed to the 2027 season (April 16-17) due to the on-going conflict in the Middle East.
Wilde is also on the start list for WTCS Abu Dhabi next Friday, November 13, alongside compatriots Tayler Reid, Saxon Morgan, Brea Roderick, Ainsley Thorpe and Phoebe Carter.
The duel start is still to be ratified by World Triathlon as Wilde eluded to in his comments to the PTO which sanction the T100 races. But he is no stranger to backing up a T100 with a WTCS start, albeit it will be in reverse next weekend.
“If there’s a chance to have a crack at both the WTCS Abu Dhabi and Dubai T100, then I’m all in,” Wilde said.
“Doing the shorter race first should actually help. On the French Riviera last year it was the other way around. But we’ll see how we go. Wilde is the reigning T100 world champion and current 2026 T100 series leader. Dubai is the penultimate race of the season ahead of the December 11-12 Qatar T100 Final.
Second-placed Aussie Jake Birtwistle (AUS), third-placed Lasse Nygaard Priester and the German’s returning countryman Mika Noodt will provide stiff competition, along with a rejuvenated Smith who has signalled his return to the top flight with T100 French Riviera bronze and Challenge Barcelona Gold in the past month.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to racing,” said Wilde who has won T100 races in Singapore and French Rivieria this season, alongside victory at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice.
“I enjoy coming to Dubai to train and race, so next week will be no different.”
T100 Dubai was originally scheduled as a round for the women only. Now, given the situation in Saudi, the men will start at 10:03am local time on Saturday, five minutes before the women stake the gun in Al Mamzar.
New Zealand’s Nicole van der Kaay is named on the women’s start list for Dubai though that field has yet to be officially confirmed by the PTO.
In addition to the individual men’s and women’s races at WTCS Abu Dhabi on Friday, there is a Mixed Relay scheduled in the UAE capital next Saturday. WTCS Adu Dhabi was rescheduled from earlier in 2026 following the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran.
T100 Dubai Men’s Start List (two wildcards to be added)
The start list includes the following, with two further names to be added:
- Hayden Wilde (NZL)
- Jake Birtwistle (AUS)
- Lasse Nygaard Priester (GER)
- Rico Bogen (GER)
- Gregor Payet (LUX)
- Menno Koolhaas (NED)
- Kyle Smith (NZL)
- Kurt McDonald (AUS)
- Henry Rappo (EST)
- Mika Noodt (GER)
- Will Draper (GBR)
- Antonio Benito Lopez (ESP)
- Jannik Schaufler (GER)
- Andrea Salvisberg (SUI)
- Kieran Storch (AUS)
- Filipe Azevedo (POR)
- Thomas Davis (GBR)
- Quentin Barreau (FRA)
