Aussie Caleb Noble leaps to win triathlon in wild finish

Two triathletes were shoulder to shoulder on the home straight in Mooloolaba before a diving leap secured the photo-finish win.

Australian triathlete Caleb Noble has taken out the Mooloolaba Triathlon after a wild finish to the race in Queensland.

Noble led the field for much of the three-event course, in front out of the swim leg and surging ahead on the bike.

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He was caught on the run leg by good friend Charlie Quinn, however, and the duo fought out an epic race to the finish line.

In a photo finish you can see in the video above, the pair went stride for stride over the closing metres before Noble leapt for the tape and was eventually handed the win.

The good mates battled out a wild finish to the triathlon. Photo: Instagram

The pair were given the same 1:45:53 finishing time, with Kurt McDonald third about 90 seconds behind the leading pair.

“It was pretty cool,” Noble said afterwards. “I remember just coming home the last two kilometres with Charlie, he’s one of my good mates.

“We had a few surges and stuff like that. I finished second last year so it went right down to the wire and I had to push and do the big dive at the end so I was stoked to get the win.

“I took it out hard on the run and once Charlie caught me I sat behind him in the headwind to save a bit of energy, but it was probably the last kilometre I sort of really had to believe and had about three or four surges and then the dive at the end.”

Noble (left) has had an accomplished career in the sport. Picture: Linda Higginson

Noble admitted after the race he had struggled coping with the wind on the bike leg.

“I was really happy with my swim, I took off solid and then had a gap out of the water and then on the bike it was really windy,” he said.

“I’ve never really ridden in winds like that before so I sort of had to save energy and I held the front, came into T2 with a bit of a lead and then took off on the run.

“I had to hold my pace and I really had to dig deep at the end and I’m so happy to get the win.”

Originally published as Aussie Caleb Noble leaps to win triathlon in wild finish