Nutri-Grain ironman: Ali Day wins series in surf mayhem, Matt Poole retires, results

Matt Poole was just pipped for a fairytale finish to his pro career in chaotic surf as Ali Day scooped up yet another Nutri-Grain ironman title. But will it be his last?

Ben Carberry and Matt Poole racing to the finish of the ironman on Sunday.

On the day Matt Poole wanted his final win in professional ironman rival Ban Carberry raced off with his first and Ali Day clinched another Nutri-Grain ironman series crown.

Poole, who grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches and is engaged to influencer Tammy Hembrow, was bested by a man who started his surf life saving career in the Illawarra in the final round of the Nutri-Grain ironman series at Kurrawa on Sunday.

But he was kind of OK with it.

ANOTHER SURF STAR IN HEART SCARE

Matt Poole and fiance Tammy Hembrow after his final race.

“He's the biggest guy around, I didn’t want to be taking him on,’’ said Poole of being pipped in the sprint for the line at the end of a chaotic Survivor final in wild winds and erratic surf.

“I would have loved that. But it’s good.

“It was an incredible day, the surf conditions were everything that I love.

“It would have been a fairytale finish but I am happy.

“After 15 years and 90 pro races, a few injuries, sickness and a bub on the way in June, I feel the timing is right.’'

Matt Poole and Matt Bevilacqua racing on Saturday.

It was also right for Day, another NSW surf life saver now living and competing in Queensland.

Day, from Kiama, kissed his son, hugged his wife and slapped the hands of fans as he coasted up the beach in third place to defend his Nutri-Grain ironman series crown.

He finished ahead of Matt Bevilacqua, Jy Timperley and Newcastle’s Dan Collins.

Just a day earlier his 10-round winning run as ended by young gun Finn Askew, a South West Rocks young gun he has been mentoring on the Gold Coast. But Ali Day’s career is anything but over.

Ali Day finishing the round six racing at Kurrawa.

The champion ironman, who won his fourth professional series crown on Sunday with five wins from six rounds of the Nutri-Grain series, has indicated he will be back to defend it.

He may even stay in a bit longer.

“I’m like to do this season and then next season and then have a think about it. There’s always a question,“ Day said ahead of his overall win.

Day said he “still has love” for what he is doing and wants to forge in.

The next big goal for Day will be defending the Australian crown he won for the first time at the Aussies on the Gold Coast in April.

2022 NUTRI-GRAIN IRONMAN OVERALL RESULTS

1 Ali Day, 2 Matt Bevilacqua, 3 Jy Timperley, 4 Dan Collins, 5 Kendrick Louis, 6 Finn Askew, 7 Zac Morris, 8 Jackson Borg, 9, Matt Poole, 10 Ben Carberry in countback with Joe Collins.

Matt Poole has now retired from the professional ironman series.

ALI DAY WINS 10TH STRAIGHT ROUND

JAN 4: Ali Day was untouchable in claiming his 10th straight Nutri-Grain ironman win but he’s not unbeatable and believes a loss could be “right around the corner’’.

Day mastered the testing surf conditions and howling southerly to win the fourth round of the professional ironman series on the Gold Coast on Friday.

It was a commanding performance by the Illawarra bred ironman now based north of the border - and one he hopes to repeat Saturday and Sunday at Kurrawa for the 2022 crown.

“Ali is just a level above,’’ said Newcastle ironman Dan Collins, who is sitting in fifth place overall in the series. “It’s amazing to be able to race with him.

“But our sport is funny, we have wind, waves, things can happen out there. He's not unbeatable.’’

And Day was the first to agree.

Ali Day has been unbeatable this season - and last - in the professional series.

“A loss could be right around the corner,’’ said Day, who watched defending ironwoman series champion Lana Rogers knocked for six in wild conditions in the women’s race to finish well off the podium.

“That’s why I enjoying these wins while I can. I take them when they come.

“I watched what happened to Lana Rogers poor thing. It shows you have to be wary all the time.’’

Day dominated the round four racing where athletes were ranked in an initial race then started off a handicap in the finale.

Day claimed the finale race win from Matt Bevilacqua and Jy Timperley.

Collins, from the Redhead club was fifth and Jackson Borg form Newport 8th.

Day now leads overall from Bevilacqua and Borg, Timperley and Collins.

Racing in the third round of the series.

ALI DAY WINS ROUND THREE OF NUTRI-GRAIN SERIES

Ali Day never gets sick of winning but round three of the Nutri-Grain ironman series proved so tough for the champion he vomited during it.

Day wasn’t the only one to find the going tough in the racing at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast, with numerous of his rivals also sick on the start line or in-between the racing in the pro surf series.

“People were breathing hard and vomiting. I was vomiting. I don’t know what was going on. “I haven’t done that since I was 18 with nerves,’’ said Day, one of eight men to advance into the final after two fast and testing lead-up heats.

Ali Day on his way to his ninth win in the Nutri-Grain series.

“I’m not sure of it was nerves. But this course was brutal.

“I think everyone was feeling it.’’

Day body surfed his way to a ninth straight win across two seasons of the professional ironman series at Kurrawa.

By Sunday he could well have extended his winning run by another four victories and secured his second successive Nutri-Grain crown.

Wave height and the wind are expected to escalate on Friday, making the going even tougher for the elite 20 ironman and 20 strong ironwoman fields.

“If it jacks up tomorrow anything can happen,’’ Day said.

Day, from Kiama, south of Sydney, but now based in Queensland, beat Matt Bevilacqua and Jy Timperley for the round three win.

His training partner Finn Askew finished fourth with Manly’s Kendrick Louis fifth and Newport’s Jackson Borg sixth.

PATCHED-UP KENDRICK LOUIS READY TO RACE

When Kendrick Louis limped up the beach leaving a trail of blood behind him he feared the worst.

The Manly surf life saver thought his season could be over just as it had begun when he slashed his foot open on his ski in the opening rounds of the Nutri-Grain ironman series at North Bondi a fortnight ago.

The gaping wound made it difficult to walk, more difficult to run and tricky to train in the water.

So Louis used an old sailing trick with medical super glue used to seal the wound on his foot.

Kendrick Louis is back racing after injury.

It has worked enough for Louis to be ready to toe the line in the first of four back-to-back rounds of the professional ironman series on the Gold Coast from Thursday.

“We glued it just to avoid stitching because they would have had to pull the nail off and that would have required a lot of time out of the water,’’ Louis said.

“It was impossible to heal with the short amount of time between the races.’’

Louis believes once “the adrenaline kicks in’’ he will forget the pain of the injury which has left him sitting in 11th place overall in the series after two rounds.

“One mistake and things will rally open up,’’ Louis said.

And with a forecast for big waves and wild winds from Friday, Louis is hoping he will be able to make up some ground on the younger and less experienced racers in the field.

“It looks like it will be pretty challenging. Fingers crossed they will push ahead,’’ he said.

“Safety is paramount but at the end of the day if it's manageable you want to put on a show in epic conditions.’’

Kendrick Louis in action at Bulli. Pic: HarvPix

JACKSON BORG OUT TO STRIKE A BLOW FOR NSW SURF LIFE SAVING

JANUARY 30: Jackson Borg might have flown under the radar in opening rounds of the Nutri-Grain series in Sydney but that’s not going to happen in Queensland later this week.

After a weekend of upsets, surprises and then the cancellation of the third round at Bondi due to a tsunami warning, Borg has found himself in third place overall behind Ali Day (Surfers Paradise) and Matt Bevilacqua (Northcliffe) in the professional surf series.

It’s a position he is hoping to better when the final four rounds of the professional series are run consecutively from Thursday to Sunday on the Gold Coast.

Jackson Borg, right, in the opening rounds of the series in Sydney.

It will be an endurance test the field has rarely experienced except at the Australian surf life saving championships which are run across five days.

And one Borg is relishing.

“I love to put myself out there. I like the pain,” he said.

“This is best of the best, going at it every day.

“I’m suited well for it. I do like the grind and when it starts hurting. That’s when I do my best.”

Borg is one of three NSW athletes in the top 10 overall heading into the final rounds of the 2022 iron surf series.

Club mate Zach Morris from Newport is in fifth place overall and Redhead competitor Daniel Collins is seventh.

Manly’s Kendrick Louis is just outside the top 10 in 11th spot despite suffering a nasty foot injury in the opening rounds at North Bondi.

Jackson Borg at the last Australian championships

Borg is driving to Queensland to limit his chance of catching Covid in the lead up to the final races of the series.

Borg said he knows people who have contracted the virus but he and partner Maddy Spencer, who is racing in the women’s field, have been isolating themselves from harm.

“A few in the training group have had it. We’ve had a handful at the club but we have manage to avoid it,” Borg said.

Borg believes the quality of his rest and recovery after each of the races in Queensland will be key to his success.

“It’s important not to blow up but at the same time you can’t rest back in any of the races. You will have to look after your recovery too,’’ he said.

“I’ll eat well, gets lots of pasta in, do ice baths and try and get a massage in each night.

“Sleeping and staying out of the sun as much as I can will be important.’’

NUTRI-GRAIN IRONMAN TOP 10 HEADING TO FINAL FOUR ROUNDS

Ali Day Surfers Paradise, 40, Matt Bevilacqua, Northcliffe, 36, Jackson Borg, Newport 29.5, Corey Fletcher, Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park, 28, Zach Morris, Newport, 25.5, Finn Askew, Surfers Paradise, 24.5, Daniel Collins, Redhead, 22.5, Cory Taylor, Northcliffe 22.5, Matt Poole, Northcliffe, 21.5, Jy Timperley, Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park 21.

Matt Bevilacqua (left), Ali Day and Jackson Maynard competing in round two of the series. Pic: Harvpix.

NUTRI-GRAIN SERIES DATES AND FORMATS

THURSDAY

Nutri-Grain Series Round 3: 12-2pm on Channel 9Go!

Format: Survival

Three separate 12-minute races starting with 20 competitors. The last six finishers in each race are eliminated and only eight are left in the final race. There is a five minute countdown between each race.

Race 1 – Swim, Board, Ski. Race 2 – Board, Ski, Swim. Race 3 – Ski, Swim, Board.

FRIDAY

Nutri-Grain Series Round 4: 12-2pm nationally on Channel 9Go!

Format: SuperSprint

Super Sprint is three separate 10 minute races with five minutes rest between each race. Equal points are allocated for races 1 and 2. For race three athletes will be ranked 1-20 based on their awarded points and will start the final race with a staggered start.

SATURDAY

Nutri-Grain Series Round 5: 12-2pm nationally on Channel 9

Format: The Specialist.

Four four to five minute races, one for each discipline of swim, board, ski and run. At the conclusion of the four races, the final ironman and ironwoman race will be conducted with a staggered start commencing from the finish arch.

Race 1 – Run. Race 2 – Board. Race 3 – Swim. Race 4 – Ski. Race 5 – Iron (board, swim, ski)

SUNDAY

Nutri-Grain Series Round 6: 12-2pm nationally on Channel 9

Format: Survival

Survival is three separate, 12 minute long races starting with 20 competitors. The last six in each race are eliminated until eight are left for the final. There is a five minute countdown between each race.

Race 1 – Board, Ski, Swim. Race 2 – Ski, Swim, Board. Race 3 – Swim, Board, Ski.

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