World paddleboard champion Matt Bevilacqua finally adds elusive domestic title to his resume
Matt Bevilacqua has won the past five editions of the world paddleboard championships and also holds the short course. But one victory had eluded him — until last weekend
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WORLD paddleboard long and short championship holder Matt Bevilacqua has for years dominated the international stage only for the domestic title to elude him.
That changed last weekend for the Tasmanian surf life saving star, who created history by finally adding the one victory he cherished the most.
Bevilacqua, who has conquered the 52km world long course race from Molokai to Oahu on five consecutive occasions from 2015-19 and is the event record holder, triumphed at the Australian Surf Life Saving championships on the Sunshine Coast to complete his impressive resume.
It is the first time an athlete has held all three titles.
“Its been an amazing journey from paddling at Clifton Beach on the board and now being on the top of every single championship there is for board paddling,” the state’s first ever Coolangatta Gold and Nutri-Grain Ironman winner said.
“It is a bit surreal, but awesome to have achieved the Australian title over the weekend.
“I always thought I could be the best board paddler to never win an Australian title, when you get to that point you are also thinking about the fact you might never win one.
“It is really hard to win the Australian title, I obviously have the other two but I was so stoked to tick it off and very emotional afterwards, it really shocked me how emotional I was.”
Now Bevilacqua has the last remaining Australian title in his sights — the national ironman crown — after finishing third behind Alastair Day in the blue ribband race hours after his paddleboard breakthrough.
But before he plots his path to national ironman success next summer the 29-year-old will enjoy some well deserved down time, which started with Mad Monday in his home base in Queensland after the Australian championships wrapped up.
“You obviously want to win them all, that [the paddleboard] was the first race of the day and you focus on each race as it comes.
“After that win I had to go back and reset and really focus for the ironman, I haven’t won that one either and I want that one just as bad, that will be my focus moving forward.
“I’m really keen on capitalising on where I am in my career now, I just want to achieve everything I can.”
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