GRANT KENNY DIGS DEEP TO WIN MASTERS IRONMAN GOLD

Surf Life Saving Australia, March 31, 2014: Perth (March 31, 2014): Grant Kenny may be showing a few signs of rust resulting from a lifetime in the surf but the most famous of all Ironmen showed today he still has the golden touch.

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Kenny was hobbled by a calf injury but summoned many of his old skills to win the 50-54 years Ironman gold medal on day one ofthe Australian Surf Life Saving Masters Championships at Scarborough, Western Australia.

The four-time Australian open champion and 1984 Olympic Games kayaking bronze medallist powered away to a good lead in the opening ski leg, and managed to hold that margin in the board and swim legs despite his own legs not working as well as they once did.

By the end his margin was comfortable enough that he could walk across the finish line ahead of two other grand masters Gavin Hill (Northcliffe) and Glen Lawrence (Byron Bay).

The 50-year-old tore his right calf muscle while training with his son Jett at Alexandra Headland on the Sunshine Coast last week and thought he may miss the Australian Championships despite having worked hard to improve his general fitness in the past six months.

“We had just swum back to the beach and when I go up to run the calf went on me,” Kenny said.

“The boys had to carry me out of the water, I couldn’t move.

“Now my other calf is bothering me too because I’ve been favouring the injured leg. The running sections today were very painful and I even felt it when I had to jump onto my ski at the start.”

Earlier Kenny was upset in the final of the 50-54 years single ski race, beaten to the line on the final wave by WA’s Shaun Rice (Trigg Island) and silver medallist Tony Vieceli (Manly).

Rice, a former South African surf lifesaving representative who moved from Durban to Perth a decade ago, said the victory was made even more special because it came against a legend of the sport.

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Kenny is determined to battle on in tomorrow’s second day of the Masters carnival and is still planning to compete in the single ski race when the open championships start on Wednesday.

Meanwhile Trigg Island’s Andrew Mosel has started his week-long campaign on a golden note, winning a treble in the 30-34 years age group.

Mosel, who will play a vital role in Trigg’s Open Taplin Relay and Board Relay teams, took out the Ironman comfortable and worked hard to come from behind to ride a small wave to the beach to claim the surf race, after a dominant paddle in the board race.

Other highlights included a winning double to 1964 and 1968 Olympic water polo representative Bill Phillips from the Whale Beach club on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, in the over 70 years surf and rescue tube.

“It’s great to represent Whale Beach over in the west and it’s good to see so many great Australians, young and old in the lifesaving movement,” said Phillips, who is a regular at the Tattersalls Club in Sydney where he trains in the 25m pool.

“I started out in Dee Why with the likes of the late great Nelson Chad and I am proud to have received myv50 years service in the movement.”

Another Olympian, 1996 K4 finalist, Jim Walker (North Bondi) beat another ex-kayak champion, 1997 gold, silver and bronzed medallist Julian Norton-Smith (North Burleigh) with Robbie Armstrong (Avoca Beach third).

In the 45-49 years it was Terrigal’s Paul Lemmon who took his Masters swim/ironman double tally to seven in a row.

But he had to bring out all stops to get over the top of 1992 Barcelona Olympian Deane Pieters who led Lemmon around the buoys.

“To beat a legend like Deane Pieters was very satisfying; what he has achieved in the pool and surf is unreal so to get a win up over Deane on his home beach was great,” said Lemmon, who also finished third in the board final to former South Sydney Rabbitoh Darren Schott and former Ironman Scott Thompson (North Bondi) in the tightest finish of the day.

The Championships will continue tomorrow with Day Two of Masters, with the Open Competiton starting on Wednesday.

PRESS CONFERENCE REMINDER:

RESULTS:

Australian Surf Life Saving Championships 2014: Masters: Day One: Scarborough Beach: WA:

Men:

30-34: Yrs: Swim: Andrew Mosel (Trigg Island) Luke Collopy (Seacliff) Kurt Hanson (Freshwater) Ironman: Andrew Mosel (Trigg Island) Stephen Ford (Bronte) Luke Collopy (Seacliff) Tube: Kurt Hanson (Freshwater) Matthew Jenkins (North Bondi) Brendan Collopy (Seacliff) Ski: Michael Georgaris Jnr. (Wanda) James Knowles (North Cottesloe) Robert Brain (Warrnambool) Board: Andrew Mosel (Trigg Island) Anthony Rock (Half Moon Bay) Kurt Hanson (Freshwater) Board Rescue: Grant Coates, Matthew Lemon (Freshwater) Ashley Clarke, Luke Nolan (Redhead)Matthew Jenkins, Jim Walker (North Bondi)

35-39: Yrs: Ski: Mark Plant (Port Fairy) Nathan Sturgeon (Trigg Island) Gary Scott (Dicky Beach) Swim: Talbot Henry (North Bondi) Grant Trew (City of Perth) Boyd Conrick (Redhead) Ironman: Timothy Jennett (Wollongong City)Tristan Read (Lorne) Boyd Conrick (Redhead) Tube: Grant Trew (City of Perth) Simon Watkins (Bondi) Tristan Read (Lorne) Board: Timothy Jennett (Wollongong City) Stuart Hogben (Coolangatta) Michael Jennett (Wollongong City) Board Rescue: Timothy Jennett, Michael Jennett (Wollongong City) Stuart Hogben, Rick Van Kampen (Coolangatta) Beau Salter, Gary Scott (Dicky Beach)

40-44: Yrs: Tube: Glenn Eldon (Cottesloe) David Locke (Coogee SLSC (NSW) Cameron Dixon (Half Moon Bay) Swim: David Locke (Coogee (NSW) Shane Edmonds (Anglesea) Benjamin Hewitt (City of Perth) Ironman: Shane Edmonds (Anglesea) Benjamin Hewitt (City of Perth) Roger Souter (Maroubra) Ski: Jim Walker (North Bondi) Julian Norton-Smith (Mermaid) Robbie Armstrong (Avoca) Board: Matthew Lemon (Freshwater) Stephen Seddon (Half Moon Bay) Michael Chan (Currumbin)

45-49: Yrs: Board: Darren Schott (Maroubra) Scott Thomson (North Bondi) Paul Lemmon (Terrigal) Ironman: Paul Lemmon (Terrigal) Scott Thomson (North Bondi) Craig Chapman (Surfers Paradise) Tube: Paul Lemmon (Terrigal) Deane Pieters (Trigg Island) Warren Jones (Scarboro) Ski: Dean Beament (Trigg Island) Kirk Jarrott (Maroochydore) Murray Davies (Caves Beach) Swim: Paul Lemmon (Terrigal) Deane Pieters (Trigg Island) Warren Jones (Scarboro)

50-54: Yrs: Swim: Adam Sambrook (Southport (QLD) Christopher Gately Coogee (NSW) John de Mestre (Freshwater) Ski: Shaun Rice (Trigg Island) Anthony Vieceli (Manly) Grant Kenny O.A.M. (Noosa Heads) Board Gavin Hill (Northcliffe) Christopher Maynard (Currumbin) Gary Timperley (Byron Bay)

55-59: Yrs: Board: Ray Terrill (Redhead) Phillip Bird (Queenscliff) Colin Mustoe (Byron Bay) Swim: Paul Blackbeard (Northcliffe) Stephen Fry (Northcliffe) Francis Christian (Point Leo)

60-64: Yrs: Board: Chris McGuickin (Avalon Beach) Stuart Keay (Surfers Paradise) Donald Marsh (Carlton Park) Swim: Donald Marsh (Carlton Park) John Ellice-Flint (Henley) Noel Gracie (Fairy Meadow)

65-69: Yrs: Board: Paul Vale (Brighton SLSC (SA) Quentin Riley (Avoca Beach) Allan Nicholls (Northcliffe) Sprint: Robert Wilson (Queenscliff) Maxwell Murphy (South Maroubra)John Fussell (Scarboro) Swim: Michael Cook (Trigg Island) Ian Vilkson (Cottesloe) Jeff Banks (Fairy Meadow)

70+: Yrs: Swim: Bill Phillips (Whale Beach) Robert Watkins (Cottesloe) Stuart Gray (Cottesloe) Beach Sprint: Glen Wilson (Mooloolaba) Ronald Johnstone (Fairhaven) William Donaldson (Brighton (SA) Tube: Bill Phillips (Whale Beach) Dennis Ferrett (South Port (SA) Stuart Gray (Cottesloe) Ski: Colin Laing (North Entrance) Allan Metti (Cronulla)Paul Kirwan (Newcastle) Board: Paul Day (Cronulla) Peter Fraser (Alexandra Headland) Allan Metti (Cronulla)

Women:

30-34: Yrs: Board: Kate Rydberg (Trigg Island) Kim Findlay (North Avoca) Andrea Miller (Bondi) Swim: Andrea Miller (Bondi) Liliana Guiscardo (North Cottesloe) Kim Findlay (North Avoca)

35-39: Yrs: Swim: Emily Chetwin (City of Perth) Dana Richards (Shellharbour)Lisa Eldon (Cottesloe) Ski: Lee Myatt (Port Noarlunga) Ruth Highman (Scarboro) Melinda Pelly (Manly) Board: Emily Chetwin (City of Perth) Tamiel Benjamin (Alexandra Headland) Megan Mackie (Trigg Island)

40-44: Ski: Natasha Leaversuch (Cottesloe) Amanda Lee (Mullaloo) Helena Albertsen (City of Bunbury) Board: Helen Murray (Byron Bay) Kristyn Monnock (Mona Vale) Nicola Scott (City of Perth) Swim: Dori Miller (Bondi) Kylie Zikarsky (Alexandra Headland) Nicola Scott (City of Perth)

45-49: Yrs: Board: Anna Ballara (Northcliffe) Sandra Penman (Mermaid Beach) Elin Ashfield Hedstrom (North Burleigh) Ski: Anna Ballara (Northcliffe) Julie Stanton (Noosa Heads) Elin Ashfield Hedstrom (North Burleigh) Swim: Christie Krenkels (Manly) Anna Ballara (Northcliffe) Sharon Beaver (Port Noarlunga)

50-54: Yrs: Board: Dianne Wallace-Ward (Brighton SLSC (SA) Alison Pegg (Noosa Heads) Philomena Pettit (Coogee (NSW) Swim: Alison Pegg (Noosa Heads) Dianne Wallace-Ward (Brighton (SA) Paula Redbond (Cottesloe)

55-59: Yrs: Board: Joanne Helson (Shellharbour) Christine Hopton (Newport) Margaret Kyle (Northcliffe) Swim: Joanne Helson (Shellharbour) Mary-Anne Paton (North Cottesloe) Sharon Walshaw (Scarboro)

60-64: Yrs: Board: Kathleen Donovan (Esperance-Goldfields) Vanessa Wootton (Mount Martha) Kay Smith (Mullaloo) Beach Sprint: Helen Porter (Queenscliff) Patricia Ford (Bronte) Janie Rowse (Sorrento (WA) Swim: Kathleen Donovan (Esperance-Goldfields) Kay Smith (Mullaloo)

65-69: Yrs: Board: Ruth Kemp (Tweed Heads Coolangatta) Christina Nicholls (Kurrawa) Swim: Elizabeth Crilly (Kurrawa) Ruth Kemp (Tweed Heads Coolangatta) Christina Nicholls (Kurrawa)

Progressive Pointscore

Northcliffe 87 Trigg Island 86 Noosa Heads 81 City of Perth 79 Cottesloe 74 Queenscliff 74 Scarboro 59 Brighton (SA) 52 Byron Bay 47 Sorrento (WA) 46 Kurrawa 46 Coogee (NSW) 45

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