Hauser wins World Triathlon finale by 0.08 seconds as Parker sets record

Australian Matt Hauser won the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain, beating Vasco Vilaça by 0.08 seconds in a dramatic sprint finish. Both athletes were credited with a time of 1:39:31, but Hauser’s final dip at the line secured victory. The Australian needed to win and for Vilaça to finish sixth or lower to retain his series title, but Vilaça stayed with him through the swim and bike legs before the decisive run.

Olympic champion Alex Yee also challenged during the run but could not remain with the leading pair. Hauser said he had been inconsistent during the season and was determined to deliver when it mattered. He credited Vilaça as a strong competitor and said he would take momentum from the victory into next year and his preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The result made Hauser Australia’s first male triathlon world champion in 20 years. He said the closing stages became physical as both athletes fought for the line, but that winning required determination. Lauren Parker added another Australian highlight by winning the PTWC para-triathlon race.

The category is for athletes who use wheelchairs in daily life; competitors swim 750 metres, cycle 20 kilometres on a recumbent handcycle and complete a five-kilometre racing-wheelchair leg. Parker led from the swim and was never threatened. The victory gave the 37-year-old her sixth PTWC world championship title, making her Australia’s most successful para-triathlete and moving her past Bill Chaffey’s previous record of five.

Parker is also the reigning Paralympic champion in the PTWC event and has won major para-cycling medals. She competed in biathlon and cross-country skiing at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Paralympic Winter Games. Anu Francis won silver in the women’s PTS2 race.