ECKSTEIN WINS FOUR AND LEADS NORTHCLIFFE TO WORLD TITLE WIN

Posted in Other News

RESCUE 2012, Adelaide, November 18, 2012: Northcliffe’s Shannon Eckstein has produced one of the finest moments of his stella career to win a fourth World Oceanman Title at Rescue 2012 in Adelaide today to emulate the great Trevor Hendy.

Hendy is regarded as the greatest of Australia’s surf lifesaving Ironmen, having won four Oceanman (the International Life Saving Federation’s version of Ironman) world titles and five Australian Ironman championships.

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Eckstein, 29, has now won four Worlds and four Australian Championships and will chase a fifth to equal Hendy again at the 2013 Aussies at North Kirra next April, before setting his sights on the Coolangatta Gold – the race either he or Hendy has won.

He added title number four in fine style to his previous wins in Italy in 2004, Germany in 2010 and Egypt in 2012 and is now well on the way to challenging Hendy as Australia’s greatest.

The inspirational Northcliffe captain also spearheaded his team to the coveted World Championship pointscore with the Australian champion club overcoming a massive 400 point deficit to beat Italian club Rane Rosse Aqvasport, who dominated the Pool Rescue section earlier in the week.

But today was Eckstein and Northcliffe’s day and the maroon and white caps, minus swimmers Miranda Bell and New Zealand Olympian Andrew McMillan (both out injured) were front and centre in most major events.

In the end it was Northcliffe who carried off the Kevin Weldon Trophy on 775pts from Rane Rosse Aqvasport (ITA) 682 and DLRG Halle-Saalekreis (GER) 526, while Sydney Branch club Wanda 802 were comfortable winners in the Youth pointscore over fellow NSW club Terrigal 582 with Northcliffe (304) third.

“I grew up idolising Trevor and watching him on television and I have always held him in high esteem,” said Eckstein, who was quick to hold up the four fingers as he crossed the line.

“To win a fourth world title has been a goal of mine and 10 years in the making. I have worked hard for this and will now set myself for this year’s Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Series, then the Australian Championships and the Coolangatta Gold.

“They only have the world titles every two years so you have to wait two years to get it back (off me).

Even Eckstein admitted the conditions, including long wades across the sandbanks, the choppy surf and chilly 20knot winds, presented their own challenges and he pushed himself to the limit.

“It was tough going out there, I knew what I had to do and picked my moment on the board and worked the runners on the way back to get the most out of the board before going as hard as I could on the swim,” said Eckstein.

“I wasn’t going to let up until I crossed the line.”

Eckstein trailed Mooloolaba’s Kendrick Louis after the opening ski leg in the choppy, wind-swept Christies Beach conditions, but paddled into the lead around the board buoys and was never headed.

He then produced a swim leg Ky Hurst would be proud off, to push as hard as he could in the most dominant performance of a World Championship fortnight.

He powered away to win comfortably from Northcliffe team mate, former Sunshine Coast junior Mitch Miller with Mooloolaba’s former Sydney Northern Beaches product Matt Poole a close up third.

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.

PHOTOS BY Harvpix.com AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

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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.