DUELLING MUMS IN OUTRIGGER NAIL-BITER AT KAWANA LAKES
February 4, 2012: The battle of the “super mums” continued at Kawana Lakes today with Mooloolaba’s Amanda Ozolins pulling out all stops to win a thrilling open female OC1 final to keep her unbeaten record in tact at the Australian Outrigger Canoe Racing Association (AOCRA) World Sprint Qualifiers and Oamps National Championships.
Ozolins dug deep in the final stages to beat former champion surf ski and kayak paddler Sharlene Kelly (Surfers Paradise) in a nail-biting final.
The pair paddled stroke-for-stroke over the 500 metre course and the result came down to the final stroke with Ozolins, who won the World Qualifier and the National V1 title yesterday, winning by just 0.30secs.
Ozolins, a mother of two, claimed the gold medal in a time of 2 minutes 32;.10 seconds from mother of one, Kelly (2:32.40) with Brisbane’s Kathryn East (2:34.60) taking the bronze.
The anticipated match-race had the crowd on its feet for what was a world class performance from both paddlers as they dueled down the straight 500m course at the picturesque Kawana Lakes course.
It was the third time in two days Ozolins and Kelly had gone head-to-head, meeting in the final after locking horns in their heat and again in a re-run of the heat after a timing malfunction.
Kelly has stepped up to the OC1 racing after making a name for herself as a surf ski and kayak paddler but Ozolins welcomed the competition.
“To race Sharlene, also a mum and a great paddler was amazing and it was great to let some of our younger rivals know what we are capable of,” said Ozolins.
“The open category is full on now which is great for the sport and to have such a nail-biting competition is even better.
“It’s the way it was in all three races, the heat, the re-run 10 minutes later and then we drew next to each other in the final which went right down to the wire.
“We’ve become very close, chatting about our kids on the way to the start line, it’s great to have another mum and it’s an honour actually to get out there and enjoy this sport that we love.”
Later in the day Ozolins combined with fellow Mooloolaba mum Lea Curtis in the Open Women’s OC2 final and then joined their club mates Natalie Flynn, Allyson Tait, Hope Grunfeld and Jane Brimacombe to win their heat of the Open Female C6 1500m.
In other events, Brisbane’s Robyn Saultry, showed her amazing skills and ability to win the OC1 Masters 40 plus division in 2.33.29 – which would have seen her grab bronze in the open division.
It gave Saultry another major title after her V1 victory yesterday and again stamped her authority as one of Australia’s finest Masters athletes.
Brisbane’s Ken Gittins (2:20.30) won the open men’s OC1 from Cradle Coast pair Scott Allwood (2:22.40) and Leigh Paine (2:22.70) with Cradle Coast hot shot Emily Probert taking a coveted double in the OC1 16 years and under and the 19 years and under final, where she toppled V1 winner Rebecca Rasmussen (Mooloolaba) and Jenaya Davis (Mooloolaba).
The Green brothers Lachlan and Tom from the Outrigger club on Currumbin creek continued their great form with Lachlan adding the 16 years and under OC1 to his V1 victories over Brisbane’s Andrew Brunskill with Lewis Revell (Cradle Coast) third, while younger brother Tom won the boys 14 years and under boys 250m final over Mooloolaba brothers Harry and Tyler McGrath.
Meanwhile Graham Groeneveld from Pittwater continued his unbeaten run in the Masters 40 plus adding the OC1 title to his wins in the World Qualifiers V1 and the National V1 final.
RESULTS
2012 Outrigger Canoe National Sprint Titles – day 2, Saturday, 4 February 2012
OC1 21 & Under Men 500m
1. Zack Cobbing Cradle Coast 02:21.90
2. Braden Veale Cairns Beaches 02:31.10
3. Brayden Smith Cradle Coast 02:31.80
OC1 12 & Under Girls 250m
1. Ella Revell Burrum 01:32.70
2. Jazmyn Davis Canoe Point 01:34.40
3. Ash Gowland Mooloolaba 01:35.00
4. Lily Mitchell Canoe Point 01:38.30
5. Kianna Paine Cradle Coast 01:50.10
OC1 Master Women 60+ 500m
1. Rose Edyvean Noosa 02:46.30
2. Susan Gale Northcliffe 03:00.40
3. Cozette Reynolds Northcliffe 03:01.30
4. Diane Arbuckle Noosa 03:08.90
OC1 12 & Under Boys 250m
1. Giacomo Neal Mooloolaba 01:33.00
2. Ky Webb Hervey Bay 01:34.10
3. Joshua Hurst Canoe Point 01:37.30
4. Charlie McGrath Mooloolaba 01:37.60
5. Jett Fleet Outrigger Caloundra 01:42.40
6. Harrison Cooper Brisbane 01:45.90
OC1 Master Men 60+ 500m
1. Allan Holmes Burleigh Point 02:31.80
2. Dan Carroll Burleigh Point 02:32.90
3. Carl Johnson Burleigh Point 02:36.30
4. Craig Harris Noosa 02:41.10
5. Robert Edmonds Burleigh Point 02:42.00
OC1 Open Men 500m
1. Kenneth Gittins Brisbane 02:20.30
2. Scott Allwood Cradle Coast 02:22.40
3. Leigh Paine Cradle Coast 02:22.70
4. Mitchell Thomas Brisbane 02:28.30
5. Tuki Brown Cairns Beaches 02:28.50
6. Braden Veal Cairns Beaches 02:29.70
OC1 Master Men 40+ 500m
1. Graham Groeneveld Pittwater 02:15.10
2. Mark Eriksen Brisbane 02:18.90
3. Leigh Paine Cradle Coast 02:19.80
4. Tim Davidson Canoe Point 02:21.00
5. Kenneth Gittins Brisbane 02:23.80
OC1 Open Women 500m
1. Amanda Ozolins Mooloolaba 02:32.10
2. Sharlene Kelly Surfers Paradise 02:32.40
3. Kathryn East Brisbane 02:34.60
4. Hope Grunfeld Mooloolaba 02:43.30
OC1 Master Women 40+ 500m
1. Robyn Saultry Brisbane 02:33.29
2. Carmen Koller Hekili 02:43.21
3. Suzanne Maksan Outrigger Caloundra 02:44.17
4. Wendy Coll Brisbane 02:47.38
5. Melissa Wetere Northcliffe 02:48.23
OC1 Master Men 50+ 500m
1. Phil Thistlewood Mooloolaba 02:21.80
2. Martin Coll Brisbane 02:25.80
3. Ian Williams West Coast 02:27.40
4. Ben Kapa BRD 02:27.80
5. Grant Withrington Brisbane 02:31.00
OC1 14 & Under Girls 250m
1. Siarn O’Neil Mooloolaba 01:23.90
2. Shania Paine Cradle Coast 01:31.10
3. Jessica Harris Hervey Bay 01.33.20
4. Olivia Walker Outrigger Australia 01:34.00
5. Ellen Massey Mooloolaba 01:38.90
OC1 14 & Under Boys 250m
1. Tom Green Outrigger Australia 01:19.10
2. Harry McGrath Mooloolaba 01:20.20
3. Tyler McGrath Mooloolaba 01:24.70
4. Kyle Shepherd Mooloolaba 01:27.80
5. Eli Reeder Mooloolaba 01:31.60
OC1 Master Women 50+ 500m
1. Denise Cooper Kawaihae 02:35.00
2. Gayle Mayes Outrigger Caloundra 02:35.50
3. Jennie O’Neil Mooloolaba 02:39.70
4. Anne Williams West Coast 02:42.50
5. Annie Williams Mooloolaba 02:46.60
OC1 16 & Under Girls 500m
1. Emily Probert Cradle Coast 02:41.00
2. Grace Riley Burrum 02:47.40
3. Brittany Green Outrigger Australia 02:47.80
4. Teaicia Adams Mooloolaba 02:49.20
5. Siarn O’Neil Mooloolaba 02:52.10
OC1 19 & Under Girls 500m
1. Emily Probert Cradle Coast 02:39.60
2. Rebecca Rasmussen Mooloolaba 02:43.40
3. Jenaya Davis Mooloolaba 02:46.80
4. Teaicia Adams Mooloolaba 02:52.90
5. Maddison Cooper Brisbane 02:53.40
OC1 19 & Under Boys 50
1. Te Otimi Patara Mooloolaba 02:22.70
2. Kurtis Reeder Mooloolaba 02:24.00
3. Zack Cobbing Cradle Coast 02:26.00
4. Joel Humby Mooloolaba 02:33.70
5. Brayden Smith Cradle Coast 02:36.50
OC1 Master Men 70+ 500m
1. Peter Burfoot Noosa 02:53.70
2. James Campbell Mooloolaba 02:56.20
3. Bruce Mumford Outrigger Caloundra 03:01.50
4. Michael Wilson Fraser Coast 03:05.00
5. Peter McKenzie Burrum 03:09.10
OC1 16 & Under Boys 500m
1. Lachlan Green Outrigger Australia 02:31.90
2. Andrew Brunskill Brisbane 02:32.40
3. Lewis Revell Cradle Coast 02:37.10
4. Jack Larson Canoe Point 02:39.00
5. Harry McGrath Mooloolaba 02:41.50