Courtney Hancock opens up about poor 2021 series, retirement, and rediscovering her love of the sport

Three-time Nutri-Grain Ironwoman champion Courtney Hancock will have to qualify for the series for the first time in 14 years this weekend - and she’s excited at the prospect.

THE QUESTIONS were well-meaning but the reasons why cut deep for three-time Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series champion Courtney Hancock.

“There were so many people after the series last year asking me if I would retire,” Hancock revealed to News Corp.

“They weren’t coming from a nasty or mean (place), but it really hurt. Because when people ask that, it means they feel like you’re done.”

Courtney Hancock rebounded from a disappointing 2021 Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series by winning the Coolangatta Gold in November. Picture: Richard Gosling

As one of the faces of surf sports racing and a perennial title contender, Hancock’s 11th place finish in the 2021 series came as a shock.

“My body wasn’t where I needed it to be,” she admitted.

“Having that feeling of lining up and knowing you aren’t 110 per cent, where you need to be to have a shot, that is a horrible feeling.”

“The way I raced and how I felt out there, I didn’t deserve to qualify (for the 2022 series),” she added.

“Even if I had gotten 10th I probably would have walked away feeling guilty.”

But retirement never crossed Hancock’s mind. She went back to the drawing board, got her body right and returned to Aussies in April for a respectable fourth in the Open Ironwoman.

“I knew that wasn’t me out there … I knew I was in there somewhere, I just had to get my body back to where it needed to be. It really lit a fire for me,” she said.

“After Aussies I knew I wasn’t done.”

The culmination of her mid-year resurgence came in November, when she became the first-ever woman to win four Coolangatta Gold titles.

“It was probably the best race I’ve ever done,” Hancock said.

“In sport you have moments where you're down and those moments make you a stronger person.”

Coolangatta Gold 2021. Winners Courtney Hancock and Ali Day. 14 November 2021 Coolangatta Picture by Richard Gosling

Now for the first time in 14 years, she will have to go through qualifying to earn her place in the 2022 Ironwoman series.

More than 140 hopefuls will meet the starter at Tugun this weekend vying for the remaining seven male and seven female places in the 2022 series – Hancock among them.

It’s a long-forgotten feeling for the three-time champ. But having watched Surfers Paradise clubmate Ali Day return through qualifying and go on to sweep the Ironman Series earlier this year, she is ready and willing to earn her place once again.

“(Having to trial) has put a lot of extra pressure on me to be incredibly fit,” she said.

“I’ve never had to race the Gold and then get ready to trial. I’m really excited to challenge myself.

“Obviously there will be a few nerves, as with everyone who puts their foot on the line. But I feel if I wasn’t nervous or excited for this weekend it would mean I don’t care about it.”

Trials begin Saturday, 2.30pm at Tugun. After three rounds, the top 20 male and 20 female athletes will advance through to Sunday’s finals, where the top seven will qualify for the 2022 Nutri-Grain Ironman and Ironwoman Series.