Paris Olympics: Gold medal contender Hayden Wilde headlines NZ Triathlon contingent for Paris Olympics

Hayden Wilde will lead a strong NZ triathlon quartert to the Paris Olympics next month.

The Tokyo bronze medallist will try to take a couple of steps up the podium in France, where he'll be considered one of the favourites to claim gold in a continuation of his rivalry with Brit Alex Yee.

"If it all comes down to a footrace, I don't think there's many people that can stay with us," Wilde said of his duel with Yee.  

"I was pretty stoked with how everything kind of happened there and I feel like I know what I need to do to crack Alex if we do come off the bike with each other.  

"I've always wanted to get to this Olympics and perform in this Olympics. So, I can kind of take that, learn from my experiences in Tokyo and grab it by the horns and and go for it."

The rest of the NZ line-up includes debutant Dylan McCullough, with Nicole van der Kaay and Ainsley Thorpe to contest the women's race.

McCullough has earned selection after steady progression during the qualification period, featuring a maiden World Cup podium in Japan last October, a series of impressive WTCS results and a rare solo bike-run breakaway to claim the Oceania Sprint Championships in Tasmania in March.

"It's pretty special," McCullough said of his selection.

"I've been kind of targeting the Olympics for a while now, especially after the Youth Olympics in 2018 [where McCullough won gold in Buenos Aires]. The kind of next goal I wanted to step up to was, obviously, the Olympics.

"To get there is a pretty big achievement."

Meanwhile, van der Kaay hopes her relocation to Portugal to train under new coach Paulo Sousa will pay dividends in Paris.

"I've been training tirelessly, focusing on every detail of my preparation, and pushing myself to new limits, all in pursuit of excellence," said van der Kaay.  

"I am determined to make New Zealand, my friends, my family, and myself proud."

Thorpe is out to make amends after crashing out of the women's individual race on the greasy, rain-soaked roads in Tokyo three years ago.   

She's hoping for more luck in Paris and is buoyed by a series of encouraging results at WTCS level, notably a Kiwi best 17th at last year's Paris test event.

"I had my experience in Tokyo haunt me for a long time, but after racing at the Paris test event last year and finishing 17th individual, I realised how much stronger I have become as an athlete both physically and mentally in those two years," said Thorpe.  

"I loved the course and the city, and I can't wait to race in Paris again."

Hayden Wilde will lead a strong NZ triathlon quartert to the Paris Olympics next month.

The Tokyo bronze medallist will try to take a couple of steps up the podium in France, where he'll be considered one of the favourites to claim gold in a continuation of his rivalry with Brit Alex Yee.

"If it all comes down to a footrace, I don't think there's many people that can stay with us," Wilde said of his duel with Yee.  

"I was pretty stoked with how everything kind of happened there and I feel like I know what I need to do to crack Alex if we do come off the bike with each other.  

"I've always wanted to get to this Olympics and perform in this Olympics. So, I can kind of take that, learn from my experiences in Tokyo and grab it by the horns and and go for it."

The rest of the NZ line-up includes debutant Dylan McCullough, with Nicole van der Kaay and Ainsley Thorpe to contest the women's race.

McCullough has earned selection after steady progression during the qualification period, featuring a maiden World Cup podium in Japan last October, a series of impressive WTCS results and a rare solo bike-run breakaway to claim the Oceania Sprint Championships in Tasmania in March.

"It's pretty special," McCullough said of his selection.

"I've been kind of targeting the Olympics for a while now, especially after the Youth Olympics in 2018 [where McCullough won gold in Buenos Aires]. The kind of next goal I wanted to step up to was, obviously, the Olympics.

"To get there is a pretty big achievement."

Meanwhile, van der Kaay hopes her relocation to Portugal to train under new coach Paulo Sousa will pay dividends in Paris.

"I've been training tirelessly, focusing on every detail of my preparation, and pushing myself to new limits, all in pursuit of excellence," said van der Kaay.  

"I am determined to make New Zealand, my friends, my family, and myself proud."

Thorpe is out to make amends after crashing out of the women's individual race on the greasy, rain-soaked roads in Tokyo three years ago.   

She's hoping for more luck in Paris and is buoyed by a series of encouraging results at WTCS level, notably a Kiwi best 17th at last year's Paris test event.

"I had my experience in Tokyo haunt me for a long time, but after racing at the Paris test event last year and finishing 17th individual, I realised how much stronger I have become as an athlete both physically and mentally in those two years," said Thorpe.  

"I loved the course and the city, and I can't wait to race in Paris again."

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