Big names come out to play at Australian surf lifesaving titles as ironmen flex muscle and multiple golds decided
A ring-in saved the day for one club while a teen came out of hospital to help her teammates to gold on a day the big names of surf life saving came out to play. See the full day seven wrap!
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It’s not the ideal preparation for a race - spending hours in hospital after being hit by a ski in rough surf.
But that’s exactly what Zoe Woods did before helping her team to gold at the Aussies on Friday.
On a great day out there were gold medals galore decided and great performances as the stars of the surf came out to play in a range of events.
It was also the day life saving greats gathered to throw their support behind a bid for the sport to be included onto the program at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.
With just two days of competition remaining the intensity lifted with some of the most fierce racing in recent times.
Late night hospital visit proves no match for local trio
At 8pm last night Zoe Woods was discharged from hospital after she was accidentally hit by a jet ski during the heat of her surf race on Thursday.
Woods, who is the younger sister to Emma, was struck in the lower abdomen.
“It was a little sore and I was stressed but I just went to bed and prayed I would be back on the beach in the morning,” she said.
On Friday Woods help steer her Alexandra Headland team of Serena Bond and Eliza Parish to a gold medal in the under-17 female taplin.
The Sunshine Coast trio were able to beat out Trigg Island and Swansea thanks to a final wave finish.
“We never thought we could go all the way but we were strong in our heats and semi-finals and once Serena (Bond) got that last wave in we running up alongside her,” Woods said.
“We were trying to direct her to the bank on the side of the gutter but we were just screaming at her.
“Our arms were going everywhere so I think she got the message as it worked out perfectly.
“We’re all best friends so it means a lot to win it with them.”
Tassie ring-in helps secure gold
To start the day down the southern end of the beach it was the Manly under-17 ski relay team that claimed gold in one of the races of the carnival.
The team made up of Willem Riddington, Keaten Ronge-Smith and Tasmania fill-in Sam Castle produced a sprint finish to claim their first ever Aussies medal.
“The conditions are awesome, a bit different to Thursday so after our good start we all just wanted to hold our spot as best we could,” they said.
“There’s a few little runner wave which made it fun but also quit nervy.”
Manly held their position in the top two all race and were joined by Alexandra Headland on the final wave.
“I’m only here to do this ski relay team with these boys,” Castle said
“When I was on the wave at the end I was pretty scared and nervous because I really didn’t want to stuff it up for them.
“Once it was time to run I just gave it everything I had and I definitely heard the crowd going nuts.”
Big names punch their ticket for mouth-watering ironman final
The field for Sunday’s Australian Ironman final has been decided after an epic morning of semi final.
New Zealand and Northcliffe’s Joe Collins would be hoping to become the first ever international competitor to win the Aussie ironman title.
“It’s really shifty and tricky out there, being sucked in so close to the wind swell and the river mouth towards the north is making it tricky,” he said.
“Maroochydore always throws up tough conditions and you never know what you’re going to get but it was good fun out there today.”
Collins said he would be hoping to re-create his under-19 ironman victory on the same beach.
“The under-19s was in different conditions but on the same beach so that was really special as it was my first Aussies title,” he said.
“It’s now against the 20 best ironman in the world so it would be a great showing for myself to line up against the likes of Ali Day, Bevy (Matt Bevilacqua) and other legends of the sport.
“To go out there in the open and bring home the win as an international competitor would be huge.”
After missing last year’s final, Matt Bevilacqua comfortably made his way through and said that come Sunday, any one of the 16 men in the final could take out the title.
“It’s hard to go past Zach Morris at the moment, he’s just looking very impressive,” he said.
“Ali (Day) is probably always going to be the favourite, he’s had the perfect summer. Joe Collins, Kendrick (Louis) is looking fit…who knows, it could be anyone’s.
“(For me) it’s my final bucket list item, I’ve got the (Nutri-Grain) Series, and the (Coolangatta) Gold, but this has been the one that I’ve been after.
“The shorter, sharper stuff has eluded me a bit, so I’ve had to work really hard to get my sprinting up but hopefully I can get it - that’s the goal,” he said.
Newport’s Jackson Borg went from ninth to second place in the final swim leg to confirm his spot on the startline.
“I knew I was in the danger zone going into the swim, but my swim leg is feeling pretty good at the moment.
“I’d like to do it a bit easier…but I knew I had the biccies and I just had to use them.
“The thing that I’ve learnt over the years at Aussies is that every semi that you go in is practically two finals. Everyone deserves to be in it, and it’s almost harder than the final because no one is going to give up.
“I’m absolutely relieved, it’s the individual event that I always circle at Aussies. Individually, the iron is the one that I want,” he said.
Fellow New South Wales Ironman Kendrick Louis (Manly) was able to finish second behind Daniel Collins (Redhead) in the other semi-final.
“It was good fun, it was a lot harder with the low tide so there’s plenty of running and wading,” Louis said.
“In these conditions I almost treat it like a two-leg iron and by the last leg everyone is hurting anyway so if you know how to dig deep in that last leg you might get some extra luck.”
“I think the swell forecast that’s coming for the final on Sunday is going to be a lot more challenging than this so it’s going to be anyone’s race really.”
IRONMAN FINAL LINEUP
Sean Rielly (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), Daniel Collins (Redhead), Joe Collins (Northcliffe), Charlie Brooks (Newport), Ali Day (Surfers Paradise), Matt Bevilacqua (Northcliffe), Ky Kinsela (Tugun), Tanyn Lyndon (Kurrawa), Samuel Frost (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), Zach Morris (Northcliffe), Jay Furniss (Cronulla), Kendrick Louis (Manly), Ben Highfield (Surfers Paradise), Finn Askew (Surfers Paradise), Charlie Verco (Newport) and Jackson Borg (Newport).
Stars go the distance
Georgia Miller admits she may have got just a little carried away during the mixed surf ski she won with Northcliffe clubmate Danielle McKenzie.
“I just kept yelling go, go, go and she did,” said Miller, chasing a fourth ironwomen crown at the Aussies on Sunday.
McKenzie, who has missed out on representing New Zealand in paddling at the Paris Olympics, said the victory was a sweet one.
Olympic hopeful, Stawell Gift champion claims Aussies hat-trick
On Thursday night it was Northcliffe star Chloe Mannix-Power who claimed her third straight Aussies gold medal in the open female beach sprint.
Earlier this month and following a 3 hour rain delay, the Olympic hopeful took out the 120m Gift sprint with a time of 13.417.
Under the lights at Mooloolaba Mannix-Power beat home Currimbin’s Elizabeth Forsyth and Anglesea’s Julia Phillips to defend her beach sprint crown.
“It feels pretty special and I’d say it’s a relief as I get quite nervous,” she said.
“I knew that I had to get a good start because the other girls are generally very strong.
“Our race plan was to really attack the first 50m before standing up and running to the end.”
Mannix-Power was hopeful to be contesting the final for the beach flags on Saturday evening.
Newport ski domination
Newport continued to flourish in the ski conditions, securing back-to-back gold medals in the open single ski relay ahead of Burleigh Heads Mowbray and the Newport Maroon team.
Mitch Trim set the pace early followed by Max Brooks and Jayke Rees who admitted ‘he had the glory run home’.
“I got tagged a fair way in front,” Rees said.
“These conditions really suited us as it’s more of a running ski relay today.
“We were lucky because the three of us run really well and when I woke up this morning and saw the tide I thought we had a good chance today.”
The trio of best mates were proud of their efforts post-race.
“We got this done last year for the first time so going back-to-back is incredible and we’ll see what next year has to hold,” Rees said.
“We (Newport) really pride ourselves as not just a ski club but we really enjoy those ski events.
“All of us train all together, we’re on the lake at 5am most weeks and we just love it.”
Earlier in the day Newport showed their class and proved their dominance in the open mixed ski relay final with all four teams finishing inside the top five.
Jayke Rees and Jasmine Locke hit the line centimetres in front of Jemma Smith and Mitchell Trim while the next two teams finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Smith, who also finished second in the open female double ski, said it was an interesting race.
“It was a super tough race in very different conditions to our heats on Thursday,” Smith said.
“We knew it was about getting away and getting a good start, we got held up by a couple and had to really punch through but once we got into a good rhythm we saw all of the Newport crews around.”
Despite going toe-to-toe in the finish Trim said he didn’t notice who was around him.
“I was pretty focused on that final wave, I came down and thought I was going to slew it so I chucked the left foot down and squared it up,” he said.
“When you come down a wave with only metres to go you’re not looking around, you just want to hit the line as quickly as you can.
“We (Newport) pride ourselves on team races so to have four teams in the top five in an Aussies final is something we’re stoked about and can’t really complain.”
Northcliffe trio too sharp in sprint finish
The crowd erupted for the under-19 male board relay final with the Northcliffe team of Ryley Harland, Mitch and Jake Morris bringing home the gold.
Mitch was able to grab a minor lead in the first leg before Harland held tough in the second stage.
“It was tough, it’s always easier chasing so being out in the lead there was tough,” Harland said.
“They were all over me on the can before both going toe-to-toe on the way in and snuck past me on a wave.”
Jake said despite being tagged in second spot he wasn’t worried.
“I knew it’s still a long race and the boys behind me were coming quick,” Morris said.
“I just had to work those runs home and when I got on the wave at the end with both other teams I just had to get myself out in front for a good run home.
“I definitely backed myself in the sprint home, I’ve been running a heap lately so I’m very confident in my running and stoked to grab gold with the boys.”
Originally published as Big names come out to play at Australian surf lifesaving titles as ironmen flex muscle and multiple golds decided
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