Whakatāne's Hayden Wilde is one of the hottest tickets on the world triathlon scene.

Keep an eye on him. He may make it worth your while.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Wilde has the ability to make Kiwis, whether they're team-mates in the Commonwealth Games contingent in Birmingham or viewers back home in New Zealand, to feel good about life.

So, come late Friday night, it may be a decent idea to either watch TV or log on to a website to follow Wilde's progress in the men's individual race at Sutton Park.

To do otherwise would be to risk missing the sight of one of New Zealand's top medal prospects doing himself and his country proud, as he did in Tokyo last year.

Watching Wilde cross the finish line to claim New Zealand's first medal of the Games made the hairs rise on the back of your neck. So, too, did his emotional tribute to his supporters, and late father, after the race.

Wilde burst into tears when telling a TV interviewer why the win meant so much.

'It was great for my coaches. That was definitely for my family and my dad as well,'' Wilde says. "He passed away 12 years ago and never got to see me race. So ... yeah. Cheers for everyone back home as well.

'Yeah, it is pretty unreal. I have been in sport for nearly four years. So it is a dream come true.''

Photo: File/Supplied/Triathlonlive.tv.

Wilde's success in Tokyo also provided the sport in New Zealand with a much-needed boost; it was the first time a Kiwi triathlete had medalled at the Olympics since Bevan Docherty claimed bronze in Beijing in 2008.

If recent form in the World Triathlon Championship Series can be used as a barometer, Wilde will be a genuine contender to secure a spot on the podium in Birmingham.

Ranked No 2 in the world behind France's Leo Bergere, Wilde capped off an impressive string of results in the series by winning in Hamburg earlier this month. That followed a silver in the series-opener in Yokohama, a win in Leeds and a second placing in Montreal.

Fellow New Zealanders Tayler Reid, ranked 11th in the world, and Dylan McCullough (116) will also line-up in the men's individual race which consists of a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run.

Andrea Hansen (nee Hewitt), Ainsley Thorpe and Nicole van der Kaay will compete in the women's individual race in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Hansen will be aiming to add to her two bronze medals from 2006 (individual) and 2018 (mixed relay).

A mum to 17-month-old Flossie, the experienced 40-year-old has made an impressive comeback to the sport and should also provide valuable information to team-mates in Birmingham.

After the individual races a team of four will be named to compete in the mixed-team relay. The relay consists of a 300m swim, 8km bike and 2km run and is likely to only last for around 90 minutes.

Hansen, Reid and van der Kaay were in the New Zealand team that won bronze in the mixed-team relay race at the Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Van der Kaay, the highest ranked Kiwi women on the world rankings (22), finished second at the World Triathlon Championships Series in Hamburg late last year.

New Zealand's athletes triathlon times:

Friday, July 29

10pm: Men's individual (Hayden Wilde, Tayler Reid, Dylan McCullough).

Saturday, July 30

1.30am: Women's individual (Andrea Hansen, Ainsley Thorpe, Nicole van der Kaay.

Sunday, July 31

10pm-3.20am: Mixed team final (Four athletes to be selected).

- Richard Knowler/Stuff