NSW coronavirus: Nutri-Grain iron series back on in February after delay

A rejigged Nutri-Grain iron surf series will go ahead next month in great news for athletes. But it’s not good news for spectators and young guns.

Ironwoman Lizzie Welborn during a training session on Newport Beach.

In the wake of two delays due to coronavirus, the entire six round 2020/21 Nutri-Grain iron series will be crunched into two extended weekends in February but all racing will be spectator free.

The venues for the Surf Life Saving Australia series have also been changed with the entire six rounds to be run at Kingscliff, NSW.

The annual summer series has been postponed twice due to the recent coronavirus outbreak in Sydney.

Northern beaches athlete Kendrick Louis after winning the last Nutri-Grain ironman crown. Pic: HarvPix

Sydney’s Wanda beach was to have hosted two rounds of racing in January before being cancelled in December.

With ongoing restrictions due to the pandemic, Surf Life Saving Australia has made the decision to cancel the proposed new series for young guns which was to have thrown a spotlight on rising talent in the sport.

Spectators will also be banned.

Originally slated to take place over three weekends at three beaches, the series will be run across two weekends out of the Cudgen Headland Surf Life Saving Club in NSW.

Ironwomen Jemma Smith and Lizzie Welborn both train at Newport.

“We haven’t been able to deliver a national surf sports event since the Nutri-Grain series wrapped up last year,’’ said SLSA CEO Adam Weir.

“While we won’t compromise on delivering the series in a COVID safe way, we are determined to pull out all the stops to ensure this summer features our top ironmen and ironwomen.

“Part of being able to deliver the series means we have had to restrict numbers on the event and due to this, the Nutri-Grain Series will be a spectator free event.

“We have also had to sadly cancel the U17 Nutri-Grain Next Gen events in order to limit the amount of people as part of the COVID safe event plan.’’

Many athletes were already in Kingscliff when the first and second rounds were called off just over a week out from Christmas. The same weekend the infamous Sydney to Hobart yacht race was cancelled for the first time in 76 years.

Jay Furniss is one of NSW”s top men in the series.

Surf life savers have been affected more than most due to the coronavirus pandemic with their Australian championships, which regularly attract 5000 plus competitors, one of the first major sporting events cancelled last year.

The new dates for the series are

Rd 1-2-3: February 12, 13, 14, Kingscliff.

Rd 4-5-6: February 26, 27, 28, Kingscliff

TV: Channel 9, GO

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