Kurrawa young gun bolsters confidence despite missing Nutri-Grain ironwoman final

KURRAWA young gun Claudia Slaven left Sydney’s Queenscliff Beach with the confidence she was gaining ground on the sport’s best.

Kurrawa's Claudia Slaven just misses qualifying for the opening round of the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series at Queenscliff, NSW after falling in a sprint to the line during the heats repechage. Photo: Shane Myers

SHE finished a whisker away from making her first Nutri-Grain series final after a stumble near the finish, but Claudia Slaven left Sydney’s Queenscliff Beach with the confidence she was gaining ground on the sport’s best.

The Kurrawa teen was devastated on Friday after missing the last spot in the Nutri-Grain ironwoman final.

But she left the opening round of the Ocean6 series with a smile on her face after claiming second place in the swim final behind Australian pool representative Lani Pallister.

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Kurrawa's Claudia Slaven just misses qualifying for the opening round of the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series at Queenscliff, NSW after falling in a sprint to the line during the heats repechage. Photo: Shane Myers

Slaven, who made the move from Burleigh to Kurrawa in the off-season, said she was shattered after missing a maiden ironwoman final.

“It was a sprint up the beach between me and another girl and unfortunately I had a bit of a fall at the end,” she said.

“But I was just excited to know that I was up there with the other girls, so I can’t wait for the rest of the season.

“I was just hoping that it would be this carnival that would make me get to that (next) stage.

“But I know that I can do it now.”

A North Burleigh nipper, Slaven started surf lifesaving when she was just four and has always looked up to the sport’s top ironwomen.

“I’ve always looked up to Courtney and Liz Pluimers and all them,” she said.

But it’s one of the sport’s newest stars that is now helping power Slaven’s dreams.

Brielle Cooper become the youngest Nutri-Grain series winner in history last summer and Slaven is now training alongside her fellow 19-year-old at Kurrawa.

“I moved clubs at the start of the season to Kurrawa and I started training with Brielle,” Slaven said.

“It’s been so good to have that person to push me even more and having a really good squad with Bevvy (Matt Bevilacqua) and Pooley (Matt Poole).

“It’s been really good and I’m loving being there.

“(Moving to) Kurrawa’s definitely the best decision I made.”