Nutri-Grain ironwoman: Harriet Brown wins 2022 series, Georgia Miller stuns on return, results

Harriet Brown won a Nutri-Grain series which will go down in history as one of the craziest and most dramatic with Georgia Miller earning accolades for her comeback with a strange injury.

Georgia Miller in round four of the ironwoman series.

Ironwoman Harriet Brown finished in the back of the pack in Sunday’s Survival racing but still managed to win the 2022 Nutri-Grain ironwoman crown.

It was a fitting end to one of strangest, most dramatic and crazy series ever held for the top ironwomen in the country.

From final round winner Georgia Miller being unable to race the opening two legs due to a heart problem, to defending champion Lana Rogers unable to race for the crown in the last after falling sick before Sunday’s event, the series had drama aplenty.

Georgia Miller won two rounds of the series but missed the first two with a heart scare.

Add in “the toughest, biggest and wildest conditions” Miller has ever raced in on Sunday - and the extraordinary sight of Brown’s ski paddle snapping in the final race - and the series had more unpredictability than the washing machine-like conditions at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast.

“That’s what we love about this sport. You never know what is going to happen or who is going to win.,’’ said Miller after her win on Sunday secured her eighth place overall despite her being unable to race two of the six rounds due to an inflammation of the heart following a flu and nasty bout of Covid.

The series also lost Sydney youngster Lily Finati who was forced to withdraw from the final two rounds after finding herself in hospital for monitoring due to the same pericarditis which had sidelined Miller for a fortnight.

With Rogers unable to race, Brown had secured the title even before she headed out in the rough-house conditions on Sunday.

Harriet Brown missed last seasons with an injury.

“Even six months ago I had my doubts I would be able to contend,’’ said Brown, sidelined with a foot injury last season. “To win the series just feels so good.’’

After her gear damage. Brown finishing eighth in Sunday’s final race to claim the series title from fellow Gold Coast based athletes Danielle McKenzie and Coolangatta Gold champion Courtney Hancock.

“I’m so happy to win the final round but also so happy to see Harriet win overall,’’ said Miller, who then disclosed she had won round six despite being unable to feel her fingers properly.

“I’m stoked to win because they were the toughest conditions I have ever raced in,’’ Miller said.

“I have a bad arm. I can’t feel my fingers properly. I had physio last night to get here.

“I’m not sure what happened. I think I might have hit a nerve or something on Saturday.’’

Georgia Miller won the fifth and sixth rounds of the series.

GEORGIA MILLER’S SENSATIONAL COMEBACK

JAN 5: Georgia Miller has returned from time out following a heart scare to become the third different woman to take a win in the Nutri-Grain series.

Miller won the fifth round of the series on Saturday after Harriet Brown and Lana Rogers had taken earlier round wins.

“It’s amazing, I really can’t believe that just happened,” Miller said.

“I haven’t said it out loud yet, but I have not lost a Specialist round - I’ve done four and I’ve won four now.

“I am so stoked, I thought about it this morning and I knew it was going to be big surf but I was just going out there to do my best.’’

IRONWOMAN GIVES HEART AND SOUL FOR BIG RESULT

JAN: 4: Wild winds sent skis flying down the sand and smashing into athletes on the water as the fourth round of the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series became a survival test on the Gold Coast.

While Harriet Brown won her third round without major incident ahead of comeback star Georgia Miller, defending series champion Lana Rogers was wiped out on the board leg by a rogue ski in a major upset.

The top ironwoman ended up 17th in the race and lamenting her bout of bad luck.

In contrast Miller was celebrating her shock second place in the fourth round after weeks sidelined with Covid and then an inflammation of the heart.

Harriet Brown (Northcliffe) in the surf in round one.

While Brown was tipped to dominate after wins in round one and three, Miller had no idea how she would back-up after her fifth place in round three on Thursday.

“I’m in complete shock,’’ said Miller, who started the final 39 seconds behind clubmate Brown after an earlier race was used to rank athletes for the finale.

“To be back on the podium, I can’t believe it.

“I never thought I’d be on the podium so I am beyond happy.’’

Lana Rogers had more than her fair share of bad luck.

Forced to watch the first two rounds from the couch due to her health issues, Miller is out of the mix for the overall win this year.

But mathematically she could still make the podium with two rounds still to race.

“The conditions were so touch today. I saw girls being taken out and I just tried to avoid all the carnage but paddling into the wind was so hard.

“I have no idea how I will back up.

“But I am just going to keep trying to chip away at the pointscore.’’

HARRIET BROWN WINS ROUND THREE OF NUTRI-GRAIN SERIES

JAN 3: Harriet Brown and Lana Rogers continued their game of tit-for-tat in the Nutri-Grain ironwoman series but it was George Miller who caused the biggest stir in the third round of the professional surf series on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

Just two weeks after being sidelined with a heart issue in the wake of a bad flu and case of Covid, Miller returned to the surf and surprised even herself.

“I’m stoked. Also a little surprised,’’ said the surf life saver from Sydney’s northern beaches now training under former champion Naomi Flood on the Gold Coast.

Miller finished fifth in the eight-woman final which follows don form two earlier short course iron races.

“I am really surprised. I really didn’t know how I would go. I just went in with a smile on my face and wanting to race.

“I definitely started to fade but I am just so happy to have made that third race.

“I felt really good in the water but the running felt really tough. I’m not a natural runner.’’

Harriet Brown celebrates winning on the Gold Coast.

Aided by a late wave, Brown claimed her second win of the series in the third round at Kurrawa, with defending champion Rogers finishing second.

Brown now leads the series overall by a point form Rogers heading into the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds from Friday to Sunday.

TOP 10 WOMEN AFTER THREE ROUNDS

1. Harriet Brown 59

2. Lana Rogers 58

3. Danielle McKenzie 50

4. Hannah Sculley 45

5. Courtney Hancock 39.5

6. Brielle Cooper 38.5

7. Aly Bull 38.5

8. Olivia Corrin 37

9. Tiarnee Massie 27.5

10. Lizzie Welborn 27

GEORGIA MILLER GIVEN GREEN LIGHT AFTER HEART RACE

FEBRUARY 1: Ironwoman Georgia Miller can’t wait to toe the start line in the final four rounds of the Nutri-Grain surf series on the Gold Coast on Thursday even though she will be stepping into uncharted waters.

The surf lifesaver from Sydney’s northern beaches, now living in the Gold Coast, has never been more uncertain of her form after being forced out of the opening rounds in Sydney a fortnight ago due to a heart scare which followed a flu virus and a nasty bout of Covid.

Georgia Miller at the Australian championships. Pic: HarvPix

“I’ll just do what I can. I only got clearance last week to go back to training,” Miller said.

“It will be a tough ask but I’ll do what I can and just hope it all comes back to me.

“I’m just very excited to be pulling the togs back on with my name on the bum.”

Having missed two rounds, Miller is effectively out of the race to win the professional women’s ironwoman series currently being jointly lead by Lana Rogers and Harriet Brown.

However there is money up for grabs and round victories with four back-to-back legs being raced from Thursday to Sunday after the third leg at Bondi was postponed due to a tsunami “The rest after I was diagnosed and the medication has really helped,’’ said Miller who had an inflammation of the heart.

“The heart seems to be hanging in there. I've had more tests and everything has come back good.

“I’m just kind of easing my way back into it.’’

“I was pretty sick. It was a bit of a scare. When they say you have something wrong with hour heart you really freak out so I took it slow.

“They don’t think there will be any lasting effects.’’

Miller won one of the favourites to win the 2022 series before her health issues.

Now Lana Rogers and Harriet Brown are join leaders heading into the final four rounds on the Gold Coast.

NUTRI-GRAIN IRONWOMAN WINNERS TOP 10 AFTER TWO ROUNDS

Lana Rogers, Alexandra Headland, 39, Harriet Brown, Northcliffe 39, Hannah Sculley, Northcliffe, 36, Danielle McKenzie, Northcliffe, 32, Aly Bull, Alexandra Headland, 25.5, Brielle Cooper, Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park, 24.5, Olivia Corrin, Northcliffe, 24.5, Courtney Hancock, Surfers Paradise, 22.5, Lizzie Welborn, Newport 21, Jemma Smith, Newport, 19.5

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. Nutri-Grain Series

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.