Alex Yee – Paris Gold With Coros DURA, plus what was Hayden Wilde looking at?
Being a Brit, I thoroughly enjoyed Alex Yee’s triathlon gold in Paris. However, I was initially highly sceptical of a Coros press release that claimed he used coros DURA during the race.
More: Coros Dura Review
For the broader triathlon technology context, see the triathlon and multisport technology hub.
This promo image and accompanying press info did not assuage my scepticism about the tech used on race day.
However, it seems my scepticism jumped the gun and that Alex DID have a DURA on his bike during the bike leg of the triathlon. If we zoom in on the Team GB image we can see the tell-tale bump on the right-hand side of the bike computer which must surely be DURA’s digital crown.
Nice job Coros! #Kudos
dcrainmaker reported power lags in the DURA receiving power meter data as recently as a few weeks prior to the Olympics. Perhaps that issue was addressed for Alex to use the device on race day?
Hopefully, I will be able to report all is Ok when I test it – which I won’t do until it’s ‘bedded in’.
Hayden Wilde
Commiserations to Hayden, hopefully he will be happy with his silver. His domination of much of the run section was impressive to watch.
However, I was intrigued by what he kept looking at in his left hand throughout the run. Maybe it was some kind of mysterious new pro triathlon tech? My intrigue kept me ploughing through several images and videos of the race for half an hour only to conclude that he was carrying a watch during the run and not wearing it during the bike leg.
That’s an unusual thing to do, right? At least I wouldn’t do it. Then again the chances of me competing for a medal at the Olympics are zero.
The athletes weren’t wearing wetsuits so there was no particular snagging or aero disadvantage to wearing a watch during the swim and bike legs. I couldn’t find any videos of the transitions but would be surprised if the watch was anywhere other than in a pocket in his trisuit until after T2.
It did seem to be an important pacing or alerting feature that he was using regularly.
Thoughts?
Related reading: Paris 2024 : Olympic rings Strava Art From Matt Christie.
Last Updated on 26 May 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cables tidy. Essential for race day. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The Blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee ❤️
All articles are written by real people, fact-checked, and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
For what it’s worth, Hayden is sponsored by Garmin so presumably it was some Garmin watch he was looking at.
As someone who is into sports tech, I was triggered watching that race (particularly during the run where it was most obvious) by the lack of watches on the runners wrists.
yes I noticed the same thing.
these guys know how fast they are running from feel.
I think many had bike computers.
Fenix 8? Broken buckle tongue? No time to put the watch correctly?
f8…nah!
yeah, i thought about the ‘putting a watch on’ angle but that would be a crazy timewaster thing to do for a pro athlete.
the buckle can’t have broken as he wasnt wearing it on the bike (unless he was wearing it on the swim and something happened in T1)
The mystery deepens!
I was thinking perhaps he was getting messages about how far ahead he was, perhaps using some kind of fenix 8/messenger/lte tech? Part of my thought process was that he and his team had worked out a figure he was aiming for, a certain amount of time he needed to be ahead by 8k or something.
Well…
I was thinking the same thing and that, of course, would be illegal. I tried to find his strava profile to see if it had the watch model but with no success. to be clear: I don’t think he was cheating.
How does the performance of the COROS Dura Plus compare to other sports watches used in competitive events? Greeting : Telkom University