ALI DAY CONFIRMS FOR 2012 COOLANGATTA GOLD

AUSTRALIAN SURF LIFE SAVING, October 9, 2012: Twelve months ago Ali Day vowed to contest the 2012 Coolangatta Gold and today the NSW born-Mooloolaba Surf Club-based Ironman has finally confirmed he will line up in Sunday’s iconic 45-kilometre race on the Gold Coast.

MEDIA CALL: Ali Day will be available to the media TODAY at 11.30am at Mooloolaba Surf Club (The Promenade, Mooloolaba).

Twelve months ago Ali Day vowed to contest the 2012 Coolangatta Gold and today the NSW born-Mooloolaba Surf Club-based Ironman has finally confirmed he will line up in Sunday’s iconic 45-kilometre race on the Gold Coast.

Last year the 22-year-old stood on the finish line at Kurrawa Beach on crutches as he recovered from stress fractures which had hampered his preparations for the 2012 season and watched Caine Eckstein win his fifth Gold.

The former Warilla-Barrack Point (NSW) Ironman had made the move to join Michael King’s Ironman Academy at Mountain Creek in the Sunshine Coast hinterland and it was just another hurdle to overcome in what would be an exciting breakthrough season.

He wet on to finish second to Eckstein in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series, including an outstanding performance in the Perth Enduro race; he won the Queensland State Ironman title and finished third to Shannon Eckstein in the Australian Ironman.

But it wasn’t until this week that he felt 100 percent ready to tackle Australia’s most gruelling Ironman race from Coolangatta to Broadbeach and return.

After a meeting with King on Monday, Day declared himself a definite starter among the 59 strong open field in a race that has attracted over 250 starters who will all set off from Coolangatta Beach on Sunday morning.

Sunday will see a new day, a new course and a with Caine Eckstein out of this year’s field, a new champion who will be crowned to join the Coolangatta Gold legends – Guy Leech, Michael King, Darren Mercer, Zane Holmes, Rhys Drury and Caine Eckstein.

“I have had some issues with my legs and I wanted to make sure I was 100 percent ready to tackle this race before declaring myself a certainty and after doing all the training I have come through ok, but I must admit I am pretty nervous,” said Day today.

“To be quite honest now that I’ve made the decision, Sunday can’t come quick enough. I am already counting down the days. I just have to control my nerves and prepare for the race the best way I know how.

“Having a former winner in Kingy as my coach and swimming and training alongside another winner in Rhys Drury last year, it makes you want to do it.

“Being on the finish line at Kurrawa last year watching Caine win the Gold for the fifth time really made me determined.

“It’s something that has been on my mind and something I have dreamt about since I was 14 or 15 and it is one of the great Ironman races.

“I had watched Caine’s victory in 2005 on YouTube a few times and then doing all the training I said to myself if my legs are OK I can do this.

“It is something you want to tick off your list before you pull up stumps.”

Day is one off eight Mooloolaba lifesavers – including his brother Blair Day will be lining up in this year’s open men’s race.

The others are Matt Bevilacqua, Tom Dowling, Neil Glover, Josh Minogue, Alex Tibbits and Ricky Smith while Kelly-Ann Perkins will be the lone starter in the women’s race.

Long Course      45km

Ski          23km        Coolangatta to Anne Ave (Broadbeach) turn and return to Miami

Run        1.8km       Miami to Burleigh

Swim      3.5km       Burleigh to North Burleigh (Double M Shaped course)

Run        1.6km       North Burleigh to Burleigh

Board      5.1km       Burleigh to Currumbin (south side of Currumbin rock)

Run        10km        Currumbin to TH&C and back to Coolangatta

Short Course     32km

Ski         13.1km     Coolangatta to North Burleigh

Run        1.6km       North Burleigh to Burleigh

Swim      2km          Burleigh to North Burleigh (inside of long course swim)

Run        1.6km       North Burleigh to Burleigh

Board     5.1km       Burleigh to Currumbin (south side of Currumbin Rock)

Run        8.6km       Currumbin to Coolangatta

COOLANGATTA GOLD WINNERS HONOUR ROLL

Open Men
1984: Guy Leech (Manly) 4:30.46
1985: Guy Leech (Manly) 4.20.14
1991: Michael King (Mooloolaba)
1992: Darren Mercer (Thirroul)
2005: Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe) 4.20.14hrs
2006: Zane Holmes (Northcliffe) 4.25.01hrs
2007: Rhys Drury (Mooloolaba) 4:10:58
2008: Caine Eckstein   (Tugun) 04:14:15
2009: Caine Eckstein   (Northcliffe) 4:00.51
2010: Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe) 4:11.41
2011: Caine Eckstein (Kurrawa) 4:15.26

Open Women
2005: Hayley Bateup (Northcliffe) 2.25.45hrs
2006: Hayley Bateup (Northcliffe) 3.17.13hrs
2007: Alicia Marriott (City of Perth) 3.22.33 2
2008: Hayley Bateup   (Kurrawa) 03:18:45
2009: Alicia Marriott (City of Perth) 3:15.39
2010: Alicia Marriott (Mooloolaba) 3:21.30
2011: Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe) 3:20.42

“Coolangatta Gold is supported by Events Queensland as part of a
growing calendar of sporting, cultural, business and regional events across the state.”

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