Nutri-Grain ironman, ironwoman wrap, results: Ali Day’s record

A year ago he “couldn’t stand up and put the telly on’’. Now former champion Ali Day has completed a fairytale return to ironman by rewriting history with his Nutri-Grain series win.

Ali Day and his baby son Danny. Pic: Supplied,

The G.O.A.T? Maybe not quite yet but Ali Day has strengthened his case to be considered a contender for the title in the wake of winning six back-to-back rounds of a professional surf ironman series after almost being forced to quite the sport with injury.

On a comeback from having multiple screws and metal plates inserted surgically in both arms broken in a freak accident, the new dad said his goal at season start was to “win a race or two.’’

ALI DAY’S RETIREMENT PLAN

On Sunday the six-time Coolangatta Gold champion won his sixth round in a row in the same season - the first person in more than three decades of professional ironman racing to achieve the feat.

Ali Day competing at Kingscliff.

“I’d say in terms of my career that is easily the top of it,’’ said Gold Coast based Day, who grew up on the NSW south coast and now has three Nutri-Grain titles to his name.

“Not that I won six in a row, but that I got to the startline in the first race and then won a race or two.

“The six in a row, that just happened.

“I never thought I could get back to here. You do have those thoughts of not being able to come back.

Ali Day wondered if he would be able to return to elite racing after breaking both wrists.

“I know how much work goes into getting to the top and I did wonder if I could do it.’’

While no ironman has won six straight rounds in a season or six Coolangatta Gold races as has Day, Dean and Darren Mercer, Zane Holmes and Shannon Eckstein all won four or more Nutri-Grain series crowns.

After dominating the final race of the six-round series at Kingscliff, Day rated the cleansweep as one of his greatest moments in the sport.

“This time last year I couldn't stand up and put the telly on,’’ he said.

Ali Day cleanswept he professional series in Kingscliff.

Queenslanders Jy Timperley and Joe Collins finished second and third overall with Matt Bevilacqua fourth, Corey Taylor fifth, Newport’s Jackson Borg sixth, Matt Poole seventh, Newcastle’s Dan Collins eighth, Zach Morris from Newport ninth and Jackson Maynard 10th.

NEWPORT TRADIE LIGHTS UP THIRD ROUND OF SURF IRONMAN SERIES

Former champion Ali Day schooled his rivals with a third straight win in the Nutri-Grain ironman series but it was a teenager from the northern beaches with a legend of the sport in his corner who turned heads as he raced onto the podium for the first time.

Handled by the ironman great Ky Hurst, Zach Morris finished the third round of the series at Kingscliff in third place after top eight performances in round one and two in early February.

Teenage ironman Zac Morris with ironman legend Ky Hurst. Pic: HarvPix

The 18-year-old Newport surf life saver is competing in the series for the first time and said Hurst had some valuable worlds of advice for him pre-race.

“Ky was a massive part in my result,’’ said Morris, who works full-time as an electrician and trains alongside the likes of Jackson Borg and Lizzie Welborn at Newport.

“He kept me calm and controlled.

“He said if something goes wrong don’t take offence, clear the mind and reassess.

“I finished sixth and seventh in the other races. Getting third is definitely fun.’’

Queenslander Jy Timperley finished behind Day, who hails from the NSW south coast but now trains on the Gold Coast.

Teenage ironman Zac Morris finished third in round three of the Nutri-Grain ironman series. Pic: HarvPix

Earlier in the day Morris’ clubmate Welborn also finished third in the ironman race won by Georgia Miller from defending champion Lana Rogers.

“It was so hard out there, the conditions were just so tough with the wind,’’ Welborn said.

“I didn't have any dramas but I’ve kind of got a black eye form being kicked in the face yesterday.’’

After three back-to-back rounds, Rogers leads the women’s series from Welborn and Miller with Newport’s Jemma Smith sixth and Manly’s Naomi Scott 10th overall.

Day leads the ironman overall from Timperley and Newport’s Borg who finished fourth on Sunday after a second and fourth in rounds one and two. Redhead’s Dan Colins is eight overall.

Ali Day on his way to a third victory in the 2020/21 series.

PERFECT DAY OUT FOR ALI IN ROUND TWO

A day after an emotional return to the winners circle in the Nutri-Grain series south coast surf star Ali Day was all business as he recorded a second victory on a perfect day out in the Nutri-Grain series.

Day, who dominated the opening round of the series on Friday, did so again in Saturday’s super sprint at Kingscliff.

“There’s a target on my back now,’’ Day acknowledged after winning all of Saturday’s three races.

day admitted he had been nervous before the racing and worried his rivals would come back hard at him.

“It’s a relief to have done so well today,’’ he said.

Ali Day looked at ease in his return to ironman racing.

Jy Timperley finished in Day’s wake with Joe Collins third and Newport’s Jackson Borg fourth.

This result has moved Borg into fourth place overall with Newport teammate Zac Morris sixth, Newcastle’s Dan Collins ninth and Finn Askew, from South West Rocks, training with Day in Queensland, 10th overall after two rounds.

GEORGIA HAS SUCCESS ON HER MIND IN IRONWOMAN SERIES

She might have won her second leg of the professional ironwoman series in 24 hours but two rivals from Sydney are determined it won’t be all one-way traffic for Lana Rogers this season.

Georgia Miller, born and bred on the northern beaches but now based on the Gold Coast, and Newport’s Lizze Welborn are second and third place overall behind Rogers after two rounds of the 2021 series.

Georgia Miller racing at Kingscliff.

“She looks good doesn’t she,’’ Miller said of defending series champion Rogers after finishing second to the top swimmer in round two at Kingscliff on Saturday.

“We’ve got our work cut out.’’

Miller was at a loss to explain her poor start to the series on Friday - an eighth in the race won by Rogers from Newport’s Welborn and Sunshine Coast debutant Emma Woods.

“It’s hard to pinpoint. As a professional athlete sometimes you have good days and sometimes you have bad days. You just have to roll with it and start fresh.’’

Rogers won round two from Miller and Danielle McKenzie with Welborn fourth.

Central Coast gun Jemma Smith, now training with Welborn at Newport, was eighth over the line.

Ali Day and Lana Rogers pose with their medals after round one.

‘I AM GUTTED’ - WHY KENDRICK LOUIS ISN’T RACE

Defending champion Kendrick Louis has conceded he has little to no hope of defending his Nutri-Grain ironman series crown due to injury, tipping this year’s series to be a dogfight between two old rivals.

A grade two calf tear has put Louis out of the opening three rounds from Friday to Sunday at Kingscliff and fears he will also be grounded for the final three later this month.

“I am gutted, so disappointed,’’ said the 30-year-old Manly surf life saver.

Nutri-Grain Ironman & Ironwoman Series is starting back up. Defending champion Kendrick Louis pictured at Manly Beach. Picture: Dylan Robinson

While Louis still has slim hopes he may be able to race the final rounds from February 26, he knows racing too soon could extend his recover out to six month, ending his entire season.

“It could go from an intermediate tear to a solid tear very quickly so for me, I hate putting my foot on the line unless I’m 100 per cent ready,’’ said Louis, who injured himself at a local carnival at Manly in January.

“It happened during the race I would have crawled my way over.

“To be honest I don’t want this to turn into a six month recovery rather than a two month one.’’

Louis, who has competed in every professional ironman series in the past decade, said he believes the men’s title race will be a two-man stoush between former champions Ali Day and Matt Poole.

Ali Day was forced out of the last series with wrist problems. Pic: HarvPix

Six-time Coolangatta Gold winner Day, who grew up on the NSW south coast, and Poole, who also hails from Sydney’s northern beaches, are both now based in Queensland for their surf careers.

“It has to be an each way bet,’’ Louis said.

“If I had to pick I’d say Ali and Pooley

“They both know how to win.

“Ali is coming back from an injury and wants it badly.

“Pooley, you never know when it will be his last.

“It will come down to who recovers best between the racing.’’

Matt Poole winning the 2019/2020 series.

The first of three-days of back-to-back racing will see ironmen and ironwoman both race a 40-minute iron race over an M-shape course. The swim, board and ski legs will be done twice.

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