Triathlon competitor Alex Yee infuriated his rival with his ice cold celebration at the Supertri League event in Boston on Sunday. Hayden Wilde was up in arms over the victor’s antics, literally.
It was yet another chapter in what is quickly (and very quietly) becoming the best rivalry in sports!
Yee was 18 seconds behind Wilde during the triathlon competition at the Olympics in Paris last month and mounted a remarkable comeback to chase him down to win the gold medal on a sprint finish. A very similar scene played out over the weekend in their first event back from France.
The 26-year-old Brit was right on the heels of the 26-year-old Kiwi as they came down the home stretch. Yee overtook Wilde in the final 30 seconds of the run leg to claim yet another come-from-behind victory at the finish line. He won the race fair and square.
However, his celebration sparked outrage.
Yee looked back at Wilde with just a few yards to go. He was confident in the win! So much so that he pulled up way before the tape and crossed his arms during the final few steps while staring into the lens of the nearby camera.
Wild was furious. The second-place finisher (for the second triathlon in a row) threw up his arms to protest what he believed to be an arrogant move from Yee.
ITS HAPPENED AGAIN!
— supertri (@supertri_) August 18, 2024
🥶 Cold finish for @Lixsanyee pic.twitter.com/WDIbb6k3Kc
This was a stark contrast from the Olympics. Hayden Wilde was praised for throwing his arm around Alex Yee to congratulate him for the epic comeback. No love was lost on Sunday.
To lose in such a demoralizing manner twice in a month is brutal. For Yee to taunt Wilde as he crossed the line first for a second time is also rough, but he earned the right to celebrate his win how he wants. All three of those things can be true at once!