Jake Birtwhistle anchored Australia home to a stunning victory in the team's mixed relay event at Abu Dhabi.
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The Launceston 24-year-old had finished eighth in the individual race at the ITU world triathlon series event.
But Birtwhistle, who was second out of the swim, made amends to pressure frontrunner Eli Hemming and was within sight heading into the final transition.
He caught the American with just 2km left to ride and as they hit the final changeover the Tasmanian took little time to get into his rhythm.
The ex-cross country runner went to another level and flew past Hemming on the last leg to secure the gold, with the US taking silver and New Zealand bronze.
Australia's latest mixed relay bodes well for Birtwhistle ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as results count towards individual qualifying.
“I have been the anchor before - I guess I’m always thankful to have a strong team," Birtwhistle said.
"We have never used this team before and once again we’ve come out and won the race. It’s great for us all and it’s great for triathlon in Australia that we’re able to come out and do so well in these events."
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Andrew Mathieson
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
The day I realised I wasn't good enough to play for St Kilda or be the No.1 spinner for Australia was when I realised journalism was the closest I could come to follow my passion for sport. And it's not just about the scores for me. It's the back story behind the game.
