By Ian Hanson
Sunshine Coast lifeguard
Rhys Drury shades Olympian
Ky Hurst by just three points after the opening two rounds of the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Trials at Tugun today.
Drury, 32, who came out of retirement to win the nib Coolangatta Gold in 2007 is again on the comeback trail and leads the men’s pointscore with 78 points, ahead of Kurrawa’s Hurst (75) and
Sam Hamilton (Tugun, QLD) 74.
Hurst, 28, the four-time Australian Ironman streeted the field in the opening round after winning both his heat and semi-final.
It was his first major competition since the last of his four Australian titles back in 2002, when he gave surf lifesaving away to concentrate on making the Olympic swim team.
In a dominant performance Hurst (Kurrawa) won the “M-shaped” combination of swim, ski and board by 100 metres from his former Tugun team mate Hugh Dougherty, with Drury (Dicky Beach, QLD) third.
Despite Hurst saying he was far from his fittest, the six-time Australian open surf race champion, showed all the skills and the power that makes him one of Australia’s premier watermen.
“It’s great to be back racing again and my aim coming into the Trial was to be consistent and so far that’s been the case,” said Hurst, who has his sights set on making his second Olympic team for the 2012 London Olympics in open water swimming.
But the final of the short course round of board, swim and ski saw Drury and Hamilton set up their races with impressive board legs with Hurst forced to swim and paddle through the field in hot pursuit.
After an arduous day’s racing it was Drury who body-surfed his way to the front in the dying stages to edge in front of Hamilton and youngsters
Trent Martin (McMasters Beach, NSW),
Jonno Stock (Manly, NSW)) and
Mark Simpson (Cronulla, NSW) with Hurst a fast finished sixth.
But while Drury and Hurst are almost certainly assured of qualification there was heartbreak for Ironman legend
Dean Mercer (Northcliffe), who suffered a torn calf muscle in finishing fourth in the opening round and he hobbled into 15th place in the round two semi-final.
He may well have to rely on the Australian selectors wildcard to earn a place in the $250,000 Series, starting at Kurrawa on January 16 and 17.
Meanwhile in the women’s Trial, 1998 Commonwealth Games swimming gold medallist
Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra) was the dominant force, with a win and a second placing to lead the women’s pointscore on 79 points.
Three-time Coolangatta Gold winner
Hayley Bateup (Kurrawa, QLD) is in second place on 73 points ahead of
Flora Manciet (Northcliffe, QLD) and Bonnie Hancock (Northcliffe) both on 71 with emerging teenager Amy Nurthen (Terrigal, NSW) next on 70.
In the short course final Creedy was well back in the opening board leg but swam down the field to hit the beach in front after an impressive swim leg.
She continued on her winning way with a powerful ski paddle to finish ahead of Nurthen and
Chloe Jones (Metropolitan Caloundra) third.
In the earlier M Shaped round it was
Allira Richardson (Mooloolaba, QLD)who came from behind to beat Creedy with Bateup coming from well back to finish third.
Richardson used all her skills on the final board leg to skip past a tiring Creedy, who dominated the opening swim and ski legs.
“It is very tricky out there with the chop, rips, sweeps and a talented field of girls,” said Richardson, who has moved from Maroochydore to Mooloolaba and coach Michael King this year.
Creedy said she was finally feeling more like an Ironwoman than a swimmer.
“I think I’ve finally made the transition to the surf – I feel confident and ready to stamp my authority on Ironwomen racing this year,” said Creedy.
TV NEWS FEED
Channel Seven Brisbane will gateway a newsfeed on Sunday, December 6 at 3:30pm (QLD Time).
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KELLOGG’S NUTRI-GRAIN IRONMAN SERIES TRIAL FORMAT
Saturday (8am):
Round one:
Men - HEATS and SEMI-FINALS (M Shaped course – swim, ski, board – approx 25mins)
A & B FINALS (20 into each final)
Women - HEATS (M Shaped course – swim, ski, board – approx 25mins)
A & B FINALS (20 into each final)
Round two (Afternoon - one hour after conclusion of morning session):
Men - HEATS and SEMI-FINALS (Short Course Ironman – board, swim, ski)
A & B FINALS (20 in each final)
Women - HEATS (Short Course Ironman – board, swim, ski)
A & B FINALS (20 into each final)
Sunday (7:30am)
Round three:
Men - HEATS and SEMI-FINALS (Short Course Ironman – ski, board, swim)
A & B FINALS (20 into each final)
Women - HEATS and SEMI-FINALS (Short Course Ironman – ski, board, swim)
A & B FINALS (20 into each final).
POINTSCORE
The point-score will be awarded to competitors 40-1 out of each of the A / B finals throughout the weekend: A finalists receive 40-21 points (40 for 1st place, 21 for 20th place) and B finalists receive 20-1 point (20 for 1st place, 1 for 20th place)
Places in the 2010 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series will be determined by the point-score at the end of the competition, e.g. it is the highest point-score which gains the top position and then the subsequent positions will be in descending order.
There will be 11 male and 11 female positions in the 2010 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series that will be filled using results at this event. National selectors will select a further one (1) male and one (1) female as wildcards on the Monday following the Trial.