Fourth puts Hauser on cloud nine
TRIATHLON: The sky is the limit for Australia’s Matthew Hauser after his fourth-place finish in an exhilarating Commonwealth Games debut.
Jacob Birtwhistle produced a Herculean performance in the run, coming from 28 seconds down at the final transition to claim Australia’s first medal of the Games seven seconds behind South Africa’s Henri Shoeman (52mins 31sec).
The South African dominated, in the lead group after the swim and maintaining his place in the six-strong pack on the bike.
Among that group was Gold Coast-based, Hervey Bay product Hauser, who stayed with the leaders throughout and finished just two seconds behind Scotland’s bronze medallist, Marc Austin.
But there was no disappointment at missing out on a medal in Hauser’s voice after the race.
“Coming down that home stretch with the crowd yelling it was deafening. It made me lift to another level, I almost got to third but I’m stoked with fourth,” he told Channel 7.
“I was at home out there, I absolutely loved every minute out there.”
Hauser is likely to compete in tomorrow’s mixed relay, exactly 12 months after the World Triathlon Series debut that started his path to the Games.
Ashleigh Gentle finished fifth in the women’s event.
Bermuda’s dual world champion Flora Duffy – who won her nation’s first Commonwealth Games medal since 1990 – and England’s Jessica Learmonth had gold and silver sown up following the swim.
“So disappointed I couldn’t bring it home for Australia with a medal,” Gentle said.