Coolangatta Gold: The 2020 Coolangatta Gold has been officially cancelled after Surf Life Saving Australia pulled the pin on the elite category

Devastated athletes are questioning why an iconic surf lifesaving race had to be cancelled. READ WHY.

DEVASTATED and frustrated athletes could soon have their prayers answered by Surf Life Saving Queensland after the Coolangatta Gold was cancelled.

Surf Life Saving Australia pulled the pin on the iconic 41.8km endurance race after earlier cancelling non-elite racing categories due to Queensland border restrictions.

But with a national event not possible, Surf Life Saving Queensland has flagged it is working with the national sporting body on a state-based endurance-style surf race.

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Athletes such as 2019 Coolangatta Gold champion Matt Bevilacqua have been training for the past 10 weeks in preparation for the rigours of the Coolangatta to Broadbeach and back iron race.

The Northcliffe ironman said he understood the decision to cancel the national event but said athletes hadn’t yet received communication about a state-based event.

“It wasn’t a huge surprise and we all thought the decision was something that was coming,” Bevilacqua said.

“We were really hoping SLSA would pour that funding into the respective state centres and let them run an event in each state, and we haven’t received much communication about why that won’t be possible.”

Bevilacqua, 28, said he wasn’t overly interested in competing in the virtual Coolangatta Gold race.

COOLANGATTA, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 13: Matt Bevilacqua celebrates winning the 2019 Coolangatta Gold on October 13, 2019 in Coolangatta, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

“It could have run without spectators but there’s nothing like being able to race alongside others, so if the Gold was never possible, I don’t understand why we couldn’t have a group of 30 Queenslanders racing and the same in NSW,” he said.

“We’ve been doing 25-hour training weeks now for 10 weeks so we’ll sit down with our coaches and change our tactic and approach but that prizemoney is the only financial support SLSA gives us so it will be missed by a lot of athletes.”

Surf Life Saving Queensland Surf Sports manager Stuart Hogben said a state-based event was in the works but details would become clearer next week.

It’s unclear whether the event will be related to the Queensland Endurance Championships, scheduled for October on the Sunshine Coast.

“Surf Life Saving Queensland is working closely with Surf Life Saving Australia to organise an endurance-style surf race for Queensland athletes,” he said.

“The race will be hosted by Alexandra Headlands Surf Life Saving Club on the Sunshine Coast.”

Reigning champion Lana Rogers said she was 13 weeks into her training program and was gutted she wouldn’t get the chance to defend her title.

“I really did think the elites were going to go ahead so it is disappointing because it’s such an iconic race,” she said.

EARLIER: SLSA pull pin on Coolangatta Gold

SURF Life Saving Australia has officially cancelled the iconic 2020 Coolangatta Gold iron endurance race with ongoing border restrictions blamed for the “difficult decision.”

Earlier this month, Surf Life Saving Australia officially cancelled all non-elite categories of one of surf lifesaving’s premier events but had hoped to run the elite race, won by the Gold Coast’s Matt Bevilacqua and the Sunshine Coast’s Lana Rogers in 2019, until new border restrictions were put in place.

Rumours had been rife in recent weeks that the event would be cancelled in its entirety after the Queensland government closed the border between New South Wales and Queensland - preventing Sydney based athletes from competing without isolating.

The 41.8km race from Coolangatta beach to Broadbeach and back, which began as the 1984 movie The Coolangatta Gold, will be replaced by a virtual race.

COOLANGATTA, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 13: Lana Rogers celebrates winning the Elite Female 2019 Coolangatta Gold on October 13, 2019 in Coolangatta, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The 2020 virtual Coolangatta Gold will be free and open to all SLSA members and the general public.

Surf Life Saving Australia CEO Adam Weir acknowledged the disappointment of many athletes, many whom have already been training for weeks to prepare their bodies for the rigours of the race.

“We are deeply disappointed to be forced to cancel the elite category of the traditional Coolangatta Gold, as it has become a hallmark event on our surf sports calendar,” said Weir.

“Our team of volunteers and staff have been working tirelessly to review a variety of scenarios, develop COVID Safe plans and look at ways in which we could still run the elite category of the Coolangatta Gold.

“But we have reached the point today where we unfortunately have had to cancel the real event.

“After working through a range of options with Queensland Health it became very apparent that there is no way for any of our athletes, officials and volunteers outside of Queensland to get to the Gold Coast without having to self-isolate for 14 days prior to the event being held, which is not feasible for many.

“We know that people have been preparing and training for these events through winter and we wanted to give our athletes every opportunity to participate, but the time has come where we needed to provide clear certainty taking into consideration what is in the best interests of the entire community.”

While athletes won’t get the chance to experience the best of the Gold Coast as part of the Coolangatta Gold weekend, Weir encouraged competitors to still take part in the virtual challenge.

The event will be staged over 10-day period from October 16-25, enabling participants and teams from Australia and around the world to complete the various components of the event during this time.

“We hope competitors from across Australia and indeed around the world will take part in the Virtual Coolangatta Gold and connect with other competitors through the 10-day event celebration,” he said.

“We want participants from all disciplines to take up the virtual challenge and during these challenging times, stay active and stay connected.”