Worlds best lifesavers converge on Adelaide for Rescue 2012

Posted in Other News

RESCUE 2012, Adelaide, November 5, 2012: The world’s best lifesavers including a host of Olympic gold medallists are converging on Adelaide this week for what will be the largest World Life Saving Championships in history.

Rescue 2012 has attracted more than 3,900 lifesavers from 42 National federations and representing 268 clubs who will take to the competition venues at Glenelg and Christies Beaches and the state of the art South Australian State Aquatic and Leisure Centre from for two weeks of lifesaving action – starting Wednesday.

The National teams have already arrived and settled in with Trans Tasman rivals New Zealand arriving last Friday and the Shannon Eckstein-led Australians arriving on Saturday.

The Australians will train today before taking a few hours off tomorrow afternoon to attend the Melbourne Cup Luncheon at Glenelg Surf Club.

Yesterday saw the start of the Sport Development Program featuring 14 teams from developing nations – Malaysia, Phillipines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, Macedonia, Latvia, Indonesia, Thailand, Fiji, Cameroon, Kenya, Brazil and Argentina which concludes tomorrow.

Surf Life Saving Australia in conjunction with the South Australian Tourism Commission are hosting the three-day coaching program, designed to improve skills and techniques of developing athletes and coaches and help prepare them for the National Teams competition – which starts with pool events on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday November 8, 9 10, culminating at Glenelg for the Ocean and Beach events on Saturday and Sunday November 10 and 11.

Australia and New Zealand are expected to dominate the battle for the National Teams honours along with South Africa, Japan and the USA with Italy, Germany and China among the other dominant nations in the pool rescue events.

Four-time Australian Ironman champion Eckstein will be joined by fellow Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman and Australian board champion Hugh Dougherty in a strong all-round Australian team that also includes the experienced former Australian ironwoman champion Kristyl Smith and former Commonwealth Games swimmer and reigning Australian Ironwoman champion Rebecca Creedy.

Eckstein led the Aussies to a narrow victory over Australian coach Scott Bartlett’s Kiwis in Egypt in 2010 and was a member of the team in Germany in 2008.

Bartlett is a former Australian swim team member and Australian surf teams gold medallist with Manly and he knows any Eckstein led Australian team will be determined to take the crown on their home sands.

“It’s a great honour to captain your country and to lead the team at home is even more special,” said Eckstein, who has a new lease of life leading into a busy and long season ahead.

“We have an exciting team with a host of new, exciting faces, especially in the men’s team and I’m really looking forward to it.

“Being the captain for me is something that I’m warming to – I am a naturally quiet sort of person but I am really looking forward to the role and getting around the younger ones and making them feel part of it.”

The “Black Fins” of New Zealand includes former Australian Under 20 team member, Manly’s Australian Under 19 Ironwoman champion Devon Halligan, the 1.9m tall daughter of former Kiwi Rugby League star Daryl Halligan who has already shown why she will be the next big thing in surf sports in more ways than one.

Not only did she win the Australian Under 19 Ironwoman but finished second to Creedy in the Open Ironwoman at North Kirra this year and was an intricate part of the gold medal winning Manly Taplin relay alongside Olympian Naomi Flood and established Ironwoman Candice Falzon before being recruited over the Tasman.

Also a member of the Midway Surf Life Saving Club in Gisborne on New Zealand’s North Island, the Gold Coast-based Halligan provides just the boost the Kiwis need alongside a talented group which includes three members of the NZ Olympic Swim team and one member of the Olympic kayak team – former swimmer Steven Ferguson who was seventh in the London K2 1000 final with Daryl Fitzgerald and swimmers Natasha Hind, Andy McMillan and Steven Kent who all swam in the Kiwi relays in London.

The National Teams events for Open and Youth will be interspersed with Inter-Club Masters (Christies Beach), the IRB Competition (Glenelg) and the Long Distance Ski events (Christies-Glenelg).

The Inter-Club competition will start on Tuesday November 13 with the pool events and continue all week at Christies (Ocean) and Beach (Glenelg) with Masters and Open Boats also at Christies.

Figuring prominently in the inter-club competition will be Olympic gold medallists:

• Tate Smith (Northcliffe) the captain of the Australian K4some team that won Olympic gold in London.

• One of his crew members, Manly’s 2009 Australian single ski champion Murray Stewart.

• Tugun’s 2008 Olympic K1 500 gold medallist and five-time Australian Taplin Relay winner Ken Wallace and;
• Mount Manganui’s own Lisa Carrington, the Olympic golden girl for the Kiwis in the K1 200 final in London.

Manly’s Flood, also a London Olympian and former Australian Ironwoman champion and reigning single ski champion, will arrive into Adelaide next week after contesting Saturday’s prestigious Dragon Run race in Hong Kong – the deciding race in the 2012 Ocean Paddler World Series.

Rescue 2012 is shaping up to be more than surf sports with the competition and a host of festivities kicking off on Wednesday November 7.

The Rescue 2012 Opening Ceremony will be followed by an International dining night to take place along Holdfast Marina and it’s a case of take your pick – Italian, Japanese, Greek to name a few –along this serene eating strip in Glenelg.

A licensed entertainment hub will shine a spotlight on the shore at Glenelg with food and beverages available for purchase and free entertainment. The hub will be open each Thursday evening through to Sunday during the event.

Other events include Spanish and German themed nights throughout Glenelg. Visiting lifesavers can pop into any one of the local licensed venues on these nights and buy themselves a Sangria or Hansa Pilsa, or perhaps listen to some Spanish music or do a bit of German toe tapping!

Food and wine is South Australia’s specialty so we are going to put on a Food and Wine Festival for you can taste the best of South Australia!

Taking place on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 November, the Festival will be on the esplanade at Christies Beach coinciding with the Interclub and Surf Boat competition.

Australian Open Team:
Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe SLSC) Captain
Hugh Dougherty (Tugun SLSC)
Andrew Bowden (Bronte SLSC /The Hills RLSSA)
Sam Bell (Maroochydore SLSC / RLSSA Port Hacking Lifeguard Club)
Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC /The Hills RLSSA)
Tom Nolan (Nth Cottesloe SLSC)
Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra SLSC)
Kristyl Smith (Northcliffe SLSC)
Miranda Bell (Northcliffe SLSC)
Christina Ruiz (Northcliffe SLSC)
Pamela Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC /RLSSA Port Hacking Lifeguard Club)
Melissa Howard (Kurrawa SLSC)

Australian Under 20 Team:
Trent Klouzal (Manly LSC)
Jack Waddell (Terrigal SLSC)
Keelan Bridge (Terrigal SLSC /The Hills RLSSA)
Sam Earp (Swansea Belmont SLSC) Captain
Stefaan Demopolous (Northcliffe SLSC)
Jordan Caldow (Grange SLSC)
Jordan Mercer (Noosa SLSC)
Jessica Collins (Redhead SLSC)
Alisha Ellwood (Maroochydore SLSC /RLSSA Qld Sharks)
Mariah Jones (Tweed Heads & Coolangatta SLSC)
Rachelle King (Terrigal SLSC /The Hills RLSSA)
Bree Masters (Cronulla SLSC)

The New Zealand Open Team:
Max Beattie (Omanu)
Nikki Cox ( Westshore)
Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy)
Steven Ferguson (Piha)
Devon Halligan (Midway)
Chanel Hickman (Mairangi Bay)
Natasha Hind (Lyall Bay)
Steven Kent (Titahi Bay)
Samantha Lee (Lyall Bay)
Andy McMillan (St Clair)
Kevin Morrison (Mairangi Bay)
Laura Quilter (Wainui).

New Zealand under-20 team:
Chris Dawson (Midway)
Carina Doyle (St Clair)
Kodi Harman (Papamoa)
Emily Hodges (Piha)
Ben Johnston (Papamoa)
Danielle McKenzie (Mairangi Bay)
Dannielle O'Connor (Omanu)
Natalie Peat (Papamoa)
Ben Quilter (Wainui)
Karina Radley (Mount Maunganui)
Sam Shergold (Mt Maunganui)
Cory Taylor (Midway).

Competition Schedule
Wednesday 7 November - Opening Ceremony
Thursday 8 November - NT Pool - Open and Youth** / Masters Beach
Friday 9 November - NT Pool - Open and Youth** / Masters Beach
Saturday 10 November - NT Ocean - Open and Youth** / Masters Pool / IRB Competition
Sunday 11 November - NT Ocean - Open and Youth** / Masters Pool / IRB Competition / Long Distance Ski -this event is open to general public
Monday 12 November - Rest Day
Tuesday 13 November - IC Pool - Open and Youth**
Wednesday 14 November - IC Pool - Open and Youth**
Thursday 15 November - IC Pool / Masters Boat Comp
Friday 16 November - IC Ocean / Interclub Boat Comp
Saturday 17 November - IC Ocean - Open and Youth** / Interclub Boat Comp / Open and Youth
Sunday 18 November - IC Ocean - Open and Youth** / Boat Interclub Comp / March Past

* NT = National Teams, IC = Interclub

ABOUT RESCUE 2012
Rescue 2012 will be held in Adelaide, South Australia, from November 7-18, 2012 and will include five separate competitions - World National Team Championships, World Interclub Championships, World Masters Championships, World Surf Boat Championships, and World Inflatable Rescue Boat Championships.

Rescue 2012 is open to all proficient lifesavers. The Masters competition is open to all proficient lifesavers who are 30 years of age or above.

Athletes can compete in nine separate disciplines - swimming, simulated emergency rescue, Ironman / Ironwoman, surf-ski, board, beach sprints, beach flags, surf boats and IRB.

Beach, National Teams and all IRB events will be held at Glenelg Beach.

Christies Beach will be the home of all Masters, Interclub and Surf Boat events.

The South Australian State Aquatic and Leisure Centre will host all Pool events.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION CLICK HERE

MEDIA INFORMATION PACK CLICK HERE

Attention all media who intend covering Rescue 2012, that Media Accreditation is for working media only and accreditation forms MUST be signed off by your editor before accreditation will be processed. A reminder also that Rescue 2012 will have its own official photographer in Harvie Allison (Harvpix.com) who will distribute to all media outlets. Freelance photographers who are uploading for their own websites WILL NOT be accredited. ONLY photographers working for newspapers and registered agencies will receive accreditation.

Issued on behalf of Rescue 2012