Hayden Wilde wins Ironman 70.3 world title after losing watch

Hayden Wilde won the Ironman 70.3 world title after a tense run in which he overcame a late deficit and kept rivals at bay. The New Zealander erased the gap early, appearing comfortable at the halfway mark, before Jelle Geens of Belgium and Kristian Blummenfelt of Norway accelerated in the closing stages. Wilde responded by increasing pace and finished by breaking the tape in 3 hours, 50.51 minutes—18 seconds ahead of Blummenfelt, with Geens rounding out the podium. Wilde also said he dropped his watch during the final transition and had to estimate his advantage with about two kilometers remaining, describing the last stretch as punishing but enough to hold on.