Bermudian prospect Oliver Hayward tested himself against the world’s rising elite, finishing 53rd in the junior men’s race at the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain.
Hayward was part of a global field of 4,650 athletes representing 62 nations across four days of competition in Galicia.
Lining up 64th on the junior start list under clear skies and warm temperatures, Hayward navigated a frantic 750-metre swim to emerge in 52nd place with a split of 9 minutes 33 seconds.
The Bermudian then clocked 28:27 over a technical 20-kilometre bike section before posting an 18:26 split on the five-kilometre run course.
Hayward crossed the finish line in an overall time of 58:17, climbing 11 spots from his initial bib seeding to claim a commendable top-60 finish on the global stage. Switzerland’s Thibault Rivier took the world title in 54:05.
