Ali Day extends record Coolangatta Gold tally to seven while Courtney Hancock claims history with fourth

Ali Day has taken his record Coolangatta Gold tally to seven while Courtney Hancock has become the most dominant female to ever race in the gruelling event. Watch the finish, discover the full results and hear from the winners here.

THE KING has reclaimed his crown.

Ali Day, 31, has cemented his status as the Coolangatta Gold’s undisputed Greatest of All Time by romping to his seventh title on Sunday.

The Surfers Paradise ironman blitzed the field to claim his record seventh Gold in comfortable fashion ahead of Cory Taylor and 2019 champion Matt Bevilacqua.

He becomes the first man to win the Nutri-Grain Ironman Series, Aussies Ironman title and Coolangatta Gold in the same year, completing a stunning injury comeback that threatened to end his career.

A group of five hit the beach after the opening ski leg, with Bevilacqua and Day leading them into the water.

But by the end of the swim it was Day’s race to lose - and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

The Surfers Paradise Ironman, who now boasts two more Coolangatta Gold titles than any other athlete in the great race’s history, broke away in the swim and was never sighted from there.

Day hit the beach for the final run leg more than six minutes clear of the chasing pack and from there he could soak it all in.

So dominant was Day’s victory he was able to soak up the home stretch with his son Danny in his arms.

Coolangatta Gold 2021 winners Ali Day and Courtney Hancock. Picture by Richard Gosling

“I had a plan in my head – you never like to think if you are going to win what you will do and what your victory claim will be, but in the back of my mind, I won’t like, there were a couple of moments there I thought if I got the chance I was going to grab him,” Day said of the special moment.

An emotional day paid tribute to his wife Kel, son Danny and his family watching from the other side of the Queensland-NSW border.

“My parents are literally watching over the border at the Mantra … it makes me a bit emotional saying that, because I have such a great team of people around me,” said Day, fighting tears.

“I have my own family now with Kel and Danny … I have a love heart on my board and one on my ski with both their names on it.

Coolangatta Gold 2021 winner Ali Day with wife Kellie and Danny (1). Picture by Richard Gosling

“Today is for them. I have an amazing support team around me.”

Day missed the 2019 Gold as he recovered from breaking both his wrists during a promotional shoot gone wrong.

He watched from Mermaid Beach that year as Bevilacqua went on to win the Gold, labelling it “one of the worst days of my life”.

Almost three years later, the King of Coolangatta was back to reclaim what was his.

“There were times you didn’t think you would get back here or to this level (again) because it’s such a gruelling race,” Day said of his journey.

“Not that I am old at all but I’m 31 and three years out (is a long time).

“I knew when I rocked up today that I had a pretty big target on my back, particularly when I have won six.

“Today wasn’t about winning, it was about the opportunity to get back out there.

“I tried to say to myself when those moments of pain came through ‘just smile’, because this is exactly where I want to be.”

Coolangatta Gold 2021 winner Ali Day in the finishing shoot with son Danny (1). Picture by Richard Gosling

With Sunday’s victory, Day now boasts two more Coolangatta Gold titles than any other person, male or female.

In 2018 he broke the tie with Caine Eckstein and Day now sits comfortably clear with seven to his name.

“People are throwing out (going for) 10 … it takes a lot of energy, effort, mental and emotional, physical pain to just get to the start line,” Day said.

“I’ve heard rumours they are going back to the original course next year (Surfers Paradise to Coolangatta) – I never got to do that course.

“My idol Caine Eckstein who inspired me to do that race obviously won five on that course and I’d love a chance to be able to do that.”

Meanwhile. 10 years after winning her first Coolangatta Gold, Courtney Hancock has become the first woman to win four titles with a vintage performance on Sunday.

Hancock, 33, who claimed her first Gold in 2011 before back-to-back wins in 2016 and 2017, won a sprint finish with Danielle McKenzie to become the most decorated Gold female athlete in the race’s history.

“I think right now … it just takes a moment to take it all in. My body is hurting so badly,” Hancock said.

“I can probably stand here and say that was my proudest one yet.”

Hancock and McKenzie traded the lead through the 8km final run leg, but in the last kilometre it was the Surfers Paradise superstar who had the extra gas in the tank.

“I lost it at the end there really and then in my mind – they talk about in sport those moments, and you don’t have them often, about how bad do you really want this. I really wanted this one.

“I wasn’t going to be happy with second so I gritted in and I am here for a sprint finish. I went for it and I am so glad the run leg wasn’t any longer than what it was, because I really gave it my all.”

Coolangatta Gold 2021 female winner Courtney Hancock. Picture by Richard Gosling

Hancock now sits in a Coolangatta Gold class of her own, breaking the tie with three-time winners Hayley Bateup and Elizabeth Pluimers.

“It was tough. It is always tough but that one and my one in 2011 are both equally as tough as each other,” she said.

Hancock was vocal about her disappointing performance in the Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series and said she used it as motivation to get back to the level she knew was still inside of her.

“I definitely walked away from the series disappointed,” she said.

“I never make excuses (but) I certainly wasn’t racing myself. There was a part of me that said ‘that’s not me. I know there is more in here’.

Coolangatta Gold 2021 female podium. Winner Courtney Hancock (middle) with runner-up Danielle McKenzie (left) and third place Georgia Miller (right). Picture by Richard Gosling

“It’s nothing to do with age, I know it wasn’t. So I wanted to come back.

“I didn’t race to prove that to anyone or prove it to myself, I wanted to do it because I love the sport and one day I am not going to be able to do it.”

Aussie Ironwoman champion Georgia Miller finished third among the Elite Female contingent, after her late entry on Thursday night.

Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series winner and reigning 2019 Coolangatta Gold winner Lana Rogers was forced to pull withdraw from the race during the final run leg due to exhaustion.

She was attended to by paramedics and taken to hospital as a precaution.