NAOMI AND DEV LAHEY FOUNDATIONS FOR AUSTRALIA’S FIRST UP SURF WIN OVER KIWIS

Surf Life Saving Australia, September 18, 2013: Onjuku, Japan: The lanky legs of Northcliffe swimmer Dev Lahey and the sheer class of Manly’s Olympic kayaker Naomi Flood paved the way for Australia’s resounding victory in the opening Test match of the International Surf Rescue Challenge at Onjuku Beach in Japan today.

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Australia, who were humbled by New Zealand at last year’s World Championships, struck back with a determined team effort to win the Test , featuring seven international National teams - 157 points to the Kiwis 140.

Lahey won six events including the open surf race and Flood five which featured a dominant win over Kiwi Olympic K1 champion Lisa Carrington and Devon Halligan in the women’s single ski after Shannon Eckstein and Kristyl Smith started the day with impressive Iron victories in the Oceanman and Oceanwoman events. (international name for the Ironman and Ironwoman).

Lahey started his day with a convincing win in the open surf race over fellow Australian Tim Schofield with American swim star Tom O’Neill third and New Zealand Olympian Andy McMillian fourth.

He used his 196cm height advantage and his amazing wading ability to race off the beach and was never headed, surfing a small wave on the shore before out-wading Schofield in the run to the line.

It wasn’t long before Lahey was back in the water leading the Australian Mixed Surf Teams to a resounding win over New Zealand and the USA.

Schofield was again prominent in fifth and Australia’s leading women, Miranda Bell, who has had treatment on a hip-flexor injury all week eighth and world under 19 surf race champion Eliza Smith ninth.

Lahey (patient) then combined with Schofield (rescuer) and carriers Lachlan Tame and Shannon Eckstein for a resounding victory in the Rescue Tube Rescue before he and Eckstein combined to take out the men’s board rescue.

The one man Taplin Relay, referred to in international competition as the Oceanman Relay saw the Australians Lahey (swim), individual board winner Kendrick Louis (board), individual ski winner Lachlan Tame (ski) and sprint and flags winner Jake Lynch (sprint) lead from Lahey’s opening swim and were never headed.

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The final event of the day saw swimmers Lahey and Schofield undergo a crash course in beach sprinting from coach Martin Lynch to combine with ski paddler Tame and world beach sprint champion Lynch to win the men’s beach relay.

Lahey was quick to praise his team mates saying he was in “real good teams with real good guys”.

‘I was determined to start the day out strong in my individual event the open surf race and I was pretty happy to see Tim (Schofield) and I come in pretty close together and it has set the scene for the rest of the week,” said Lahey.

“It was important to drink plenty of water in between events and sit down and watch the other guys race and it takes the mind off the other races you have to do and when it comes time you’re ready to back up and go again.

“It was good to see Shannon and Kristyl set us off on a good foot and watching them certainly inspired us all and set up the rest of the day.”

Flood was in cracking form all day and set the bar a high with her single ski win followed by an all-the-way victory in the Mixed Ski Relay with Avoca’s three-time National Champion ski champion Tame.

She then played crucial roles in the Rescue-Tube-Rescue before combining with the two Smiths, Kristyl and Eliza and beach sprint winner Melissa Howard for a rare double in both the Oceanwoman Relay (one man Taplin) and a stirring victory in the beach relay which saw Flood hang on to beat her Manly club mate, Halligan (racing for New Zealand) on the line.

Earlier in the day Team captains Eckstein and Smith got the Australians off to a flying start with victories in their respective Iron events – the Oceanman and Oceanwoman.

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Smith, fresh from her victory in the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Trials, carried her form into the shorter traditional ironman course.

The two-time Australian champion proved too strong on the craft for New Zealand's former Australian U/19 champion Devon Halligan.

Eckstein wasted no time in stamping his authority on the field taking the lead in the swim and extending it on the ski and board.

Eckstein proved too strong for Max Beattie (NZL) with Kendrick Louis (AUS) a close up third.

Australia’s Under 20 team also had a field day, recording a resounding victory over New Zealand and Japan.

Captain Luke Cuff led by example taking out the Ocean Man, board and board rescue with the ever present Isak Costello who won the surf race and was part of the mixed surf team that greeted the judge with Emma Dick (who was second over the line), Steffan Demopolous and Elyssia Gassparotto.

Emma Dick also had a field day winning the Ocean Woman from Maddy Dunn who turned the tables in the board race, while Emma showed her versatility in the victorious beach relay that won the day against the opens.

WA flyer Jackson Symmonds showed a clean pair of heels to win the flags and sprint double as well as his part in the relay while Tiarn Raymond won the single ski in impressive style. The Under 20s also won the Mixed surf teams, board and ski relays.

SANYO BUSSAN INTERNATIONAL SURF RESCUE CHALLENGE, Onjuku, Japan, 1^st TEST:

OPEN

Women Ocean Woman K Smith (AUS) D Halligan (NZL) N Peat (NZL) Surf race
E Smith (AUS) M Bell (AUS) N Peat (NZL) Beach sprint C Hickman (NZL) M Howard (AUS) E Brady (CAN) Ski N Flood (AUS) L Carrington (NZL) D Halligan (NZL) Beach Flags M Howard (AUS) C Hickman (NZL) E Brady (CAN) Board D Halligan (NZL) K Smith (AUS) D McKenzie Board K Louis/AUS S Eckstein (AUS)
C Moors (NZL) Beach relay AUS NZL JPN Ocean Man Relay AUS NZL JPN Board rescue NZL AUS USA Tube Rescue AUS NZL USA

Men Ocean Man S Eckstein (AUS) M Beattie (NZL) K Louis (AUS) Surf race D Lahey (AUS) T Schofield (AUS) T O'Neill (USA) Beach Sprint J Lynch (AUS) P Cracoft-Wilson (NZL) S Odagiri (JPN) Beach flags J Lynch (AUS) B Costello (USA) P Cracoft Wilson (NZL) Single Ski L Tame (AUS) S Eckstein (AUS) L O'Loughlin (NZL) Tube Rescue AUS NZL USA Beach relay AUS NZL JPN Ocean Man Relay AUS NZL JPN Board Rescue AUS NZL USA Tube Rescue AUS NZL USA

MIXED

Open Board Relay NZL AUS USASki Relay AUS NZL JPN Surf Teams AUS NZL USA
Youth Board Relay AUS NZL JPN Ski Relay AUS NZL JPN Surf Teams AUS NZL JPN

YOUTH (U20)

Women Ocean woman E Dick (AUS) M Dunn (AUS) K Wilson (NZL) Surf race C Doyle (NZL) J Miller (NZL) T Raymond (AUS) Beach sprint G Murphy (AUS) O Eaton (NZL) S Nakajima (JPN) 17. Beach Flags G Murphy (AUS) O Eaton (NZL) S Bernier (CAN) Single ski T Raymond/AUS K Wilson (NZL) K Radley (NZL) 27. Board M Dunn (AUS) E Dick (AUS) K Wilson (NZL) Beach Relay NZL AUS JPN Ocean Man Relay AUS NZL JPN Tube Rescue NZL AUS JPN Board Rescue Board NZL AUS JPN

Men Ocean Man L Cuff (AUS) B Carberry (AUS) B Cochrane (NZL) Surf race I Costello (AUS) A Trembath (NZL) S Demopolous (AUS) 10. Beach Sprint J Symmonds (AUS) J Hurley (NZL) Morino (JPN) 18. Beach Flags J Symmonds (AUS) J Hurley (NZL) T Minagawa (JPN) Single ski B Bain (AUS) B Carberry (AUS) B Cochrane (NZL) Board L Cuff (AUS) S Demopolous (AUS) B Johnston (NZL) Beach Relay AUS NZL JPN Ocean Man Relay AUS NZL JPN Tube Rescue AUS NZL JPN Board Rescue AUS NZL JPN

OPEN POINTSCORE Australia 157, New Zealand 140 Japan 100 USA 99 Canada 71 Hong Kong 51 Korea 12

YOUTH POINTSCORE Australia 65 New Zealand 50 Japan 23

Please Note: Only 29 of the 42 Results were made available

Please send an email if you require Hi Res Photos

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia...

Ian Hanson

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