Triathlete Matthew Hauser guns for ‘lucky’ T100 debut in Singapore

SINGAPORE – If Matthew Hauser believed in bad omens, he would have skipped the T100 triathlon leg in Singapore.

Just a month ago, the Australian received a wild card to compete in his first T100 event, which comprises a 2km swim, 80km ride and 18km run. While it is nearly twice of the Olympic distance of 51.5km that he usually races in, he agreed to the challenge after getting a call from New Zealand’s Olympic silver medallist Hayden Wilde.

The first sign of trouble came when his participation at the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) in Abu Dhabi was postponed due to the conflict in the Middle East.

A week-long bout of illness followed and in early April he was hit by a car while on a training ride on the Gold Coast, Australia – he suffered a concussion and major sprain on his finger.

“I was already quite anxious about trying to prepare for this race and cramming in as much preparation as possible,” said the 28-year-old.

“But thankfully, that (accident) didn’t keep me out of the water for too long. I was able to get back within a week.”

Known for his exploits in the shorter format, Hauser won the 2025 WTCS individual and mixed relay events, and is also a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the mixed relay.

His only other middle-distance race was the Ironman 70.3km in Geelong, which he did not complete due to an issue with his bike.

As he gears up for his T100 debut in Singapore on April 25, Hauser will be hoping to put his misfortune behind him.

He told The Straits Times in an interview on April 23: “Every time I’ve tried to race this distance, something’s happened… So hopefully Saturday, all my bad luck will have passed me.

“I think the T100 is just a little bit slower for a little bit longer, isn’t it? I’ll be blissfully unaware of the pain and suffering that I’ll be going through on Saturday, and I’ve definitely prepared for that in training and am very optimistic with how I’ll go.”

With seasoned triathletes in the mix, the Queensland native is prepared for a tough battle in Singapore’s heat and humidity on April 25.

He added: “I’m also aware that this isn’t my pet event, so I’ll be cautious of pacing and very aware that I’m the new kid on the block, but I’ll be taking it all in and try to do the best I can.

“I’d be very happy with a top-five (finish). Obviously I want to go for the win, but I know I’m up against some of the best middle-distance racers in the world.”

Defending champion Wilde is also chasing a top podium spot after enduring a roller-coaster season.

After winning the T100 here in April 2025, he finished seventh in the Tokyo Speed Race, but two days later was involved in a bike crash in Japan which left him with four broken ribs and injured lungs.

Just 98 days after the accident, the New Zealand athlete clinched victory at the London T100 and went on to win other T100 events in the French Riviera, Spain, Wollongong and Qatar.

“I think everyone was quite shocked at how fast I was able to recover,” said the 28-year-old.

“For me, it was in some ways quite a different experience, a cool experience, to see how the body recovered in such a fast way.

“And it definitely taught me some things about myself and I hope to use those learnings and bring them into the rest of this year and the rest of my career.”

Aside from winning the Singapore leg, Wilde has set his sights on completing his medal collection at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 – he won a bronze at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024.

He said: “After LA, I will probably stop doing the Olympic distance and focus more on the Ironman, and do my first Ironman potentially in 2028 or 2029… there’s only so much time you can give to the short course.

“If I like it, I’ll continue to pursue the Ironman, but I know it’s an extremely hard discipline and it’s a hard distance. So for now, I’ll look forward to racing the T100 series and getting ready for the Olympics.”

Twenty-two athletes will compete in the elite men’s category for the top prize of US$50,000 (S$63,900) on April 25, while an estimated 7,000 participants will participate in the four amateur categories (long duathlon, standard duathlon, 100km triathlon and Olympic triathlon) the next day.

The two-day event at the Marina Bay will flag off and finish at the F1 Pit Building.