A "Wilde" finish and astonishing comeback
In a "Wilde" men's triathlon finish, Great Britain's Alex Yee surged past New Zealand's seemingly untouchable Hayden Wilde during the last 400 meters of the run — resulting in one of the most dramatic triathlon finishes in Olympic history.
The boost also provided a medal upgrade for Yee: Tokyo 2020 individual silver bumped to Paris 2024 individual gold. With three Olympic triathlon medals to his name (Yee earned his second, and first gold, via a GBR mixed relay team win at Tokyo 2020), Yee now ties compatriot and former teammate Jonny Brownlee for most triathlon medals in Games history.
The race gave France even more reason to celebrate following Cassandre Beaugrand's victory earlier in the day: Leo Bergere finished ten seconds behind the lead, earning a bronze medal -- his country's first men's triathlon medal.
Bergere's compatriot, Pierre Le Corre, came in fourth -- 18 seconds behind Yee.
The clouds have passed
The race took place a day after originally scheduled due to conditions with the River Seine and concerns over heavy rain. Ultimately, the clouds cleared in time for two triathlons: first the individual women's race, then the rescheduled men's.
Unfortunately, the slippery cobblestone along the cycling course caused multiple crashes during the day's initial competition. But the streets had dried by the time the men were on two wheels, which allowed for a smoother race -- and competitors to remain in an almost dead heat up until the 6.2-mile run.