Frenemies Harriet Brown, Georgia Miller dominate as Ali has his day in Nutri-Grain ironman
SURF besties Harriet Brown and Georgia Miller have emerged as the women to beat after finish one-two at Coolum on a day former champion Jordan Mercer would rather forget.
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THEY are the greatest of mates, fiercest of rivals and coached by the same former Ironwoman surf star.
And now surf besties Harriet Brown and Georgia Miller have emerged as the women to beat in the Nutri-Grain iron woman series.
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On a day a visibly distressed former champion Jordan Mercer limped across the finish of round two of the professional series at Coolum after falling into a sand pothole, Brown pipped her Northcliffe training partner Miller for only her second ever win in the professional series.
The result has left the pair, trained by former Nutri-Grain Series and world ironwoman champion Naomi Flood, separated by just two points and Brown on top of the leaders board with four rounds remaining.
Brown says having Miller, who has moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast for her surf ironwoman career, as a training mate has bought out the best in her.
“It’s been great having Georgia up here. It has given us girls a little competitive edge I think,” Brown said.
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“We are all pushing each other hard the whole time.”
The pair’s racing rivalry will be tested again in less than a fortnight when they compete with and against each other as members of the Australian team at the world surf lifesaving championships in Adelaide.
A first at Coolum and a third in the opener at Queenscliff has Brown leading from Miller with two second places overall with fellow Northcliffe training partner Maddy Dunn third.
Mercer managed to finish fourth in the Coolum round but injured her right foot in the process after recently undergoing surgery of her left foot for a fracture.
She was late Saturday seeking medical attention to ascertain the extent of the injury.
The Coolum round saw a field of 20 race two swim, ski board iron woman races with results in the first race determining time handicaps in the second.
Brown’s fourth place in race one saw her go off the start six second behind race one winner Mercer with Miller penalised four seconds.
WHAT A DAY FOR ALI - MEN’S WRAP
THERE was a Hendy and a Kenny on the same start line of a professional Ironman race for the first time in decades but it was Coolangatta Gold champion Ali Day who stole the show in the second round of the Nutri-Grain series seems at Coolum.
Sunshine Coast local Day recovered from a terrible start to the series just three weeks ago to record a fighting victory over born-again ironman Matt Poole in 1-2m surf.
But Poole’s second podium finish in two rounds left the former champion, who went through last years season without a major win, leading the series overall with four rounds remaining.
“I went a bit soft for a couple of years. I raced like a big old potato last year,” said Poole, who admitted he has now regained his love for the sport after struggling for motivation last season.
“I think I let some of these young guys push me around a bit but I’m standing my ground again.
“It’s great to get the series lead early but there’s still a long way to go.”
While the pair and Gold Coast ironman Tanyn Lyndon filled the podium, TJ Hendy, the son of legendary Ironman Trevor, finished seventh and qualifier Jett Kenny, whose father Grant was the face of ironman for years, came home in 20th place in round two.
Hendy, however, won the first race of the day and is now seventh overall in the series.
The Coolum event boasted the unusual catch-me-if-you-can format where athletes earned handicap starts for race two based on their results in the first race of the day.
Day said he refused to panic after a 11th place in round one, putting faith that his training would deliver results at the same beach which saw him claim a round victory last season.
“It feels good to be back on the podium,” he said after his win.
Round three of the Ironman series will be faced at North Wollongong on December 15.
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