DON’T BET AGAINST HAUSER IN GAMES BID
TRIATHLETE Matt Hauser says he has done all he can to push his case for selection on next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games team.
The Gold Coaster faces an anxious wait to discover if he has done enough to secure one of three spots available to the Australian men for the 2018 event that will feature a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5km run sprint triathlon.
A Triathlon Australia selection committee will decide the team on November 13 and announce it in January, pending any appeals.
Hauser, 19, is positive about his chances following a breakthrough year that included a mixed team relay and individual junior world titles.
“I think I have put a solid case forward, especially focusing my year around sprint distance events and doing many mixed team relays as well,” Hauser said.
“That is where triathlon is going, especially because (the mixed relay) is so spectator friendly (and) marketable.”
Hauser also won the Junior Oceania Championships and the mixed relay at the ITU World Cup in Chengdu.
Jake Birtwhistle gained automatic entry to the Games with a fifth at Gold Coast in April and Hauser faces some stiff competition for the two discretionary spots left from Aaron Royle, Ryan Bailie and Luke Willian.
Rio Olympian Royle is the only one to finish in the top 10 at a WTS race outside of Birtwhistle with an eighth place finish at Stockholm.
Royle was the most consistent of the trio at WTS level despite coming off a slow start to the year due to a foot injury.
Bailie’s best was a 16th place at the Gold Coast WTS race while Willian’s most impressive performance at the top level was in Montreal where he finished 17th.
Willian also finished third at the under-23 ITU World Triathlon grand final in Rotterdam.