ECKSTEIN MOVES COMFORTABLY IN TO IRONMAN SEMI-FINALS

STOP PRESS: Surf Life Saving Australia, April 4, 2014: Coogee’s Jessica Thornton has won the Under 19/Open beach sprint double and local WA star Jackson Symonds from Sorrento has won gold in the men’s Open sprint final ahead of former Australian champion Dean Scarff (Collaroy) and Ben Mispelhorn (Kurrawa)

Surf Life Saving Australia, April 4, 2014: Northcliffe’s five time winner Shannon Eckstein has moved comfortably into Sunday’s Australian Surf Life Saving Championships Ironman semi-finals – finishing fourth in his quarter final at Scarborough beach today.

Shannon Eckstein’s pursuit of a record-equalling sixth national Ironman championship received an unexpected boost today when he was drawn into the weaker of the Sunday’s two semi-finals at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Scarborough Beach in Western Australia. (The final will be held on Sunday afternoon)

The five-time Northcliffe champion and all his main rivals progressed comfortably through their quarter finals this morning in flat conditions that reduced the chances of any upsets.

When the semi-final draw came out later in the day, Eckstein managed to avoid most of the other contenders for the title, increasing his chances of winning Sunday afternoon’s final and drawing level with his boyhood idol, Trevor Hendy, as the most successful Ironman in the 100-year history of the Australian championships.

While rising star Luke Cuff (Mooloolaba) and last year’s third placegetter in the Aussies Ironman final, Jackson Maynard (Currumbin), will race alongside Eckstein in the semi-final, the 16-man field will hardly cause the Northcliffe star any sleepless nights.

The first semi-final has produced a tougher draw for four-time champion Ky Hurst (Kurrawa), 2006 winner Nathan Smith (Manly) and Coolangatta Gold king Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe).

They will take on the likes of Newport’s Kendrick Louis, Mooloolaba’s Matt Poole and last year’s runner-up Tanyn Lyndon (Northcliffe), as well as a handful of capable youngsters such as Jack Moyes (Terrigal), Matt Bevilacqua (Mooloolaba) and Mackenzie Hynard (Noosa Heads) – who has also qualified for the Under 19 semi-finals.

Eight Ironmen will progress to the final from each of the semi-finals so the pressure and pace will be right on in the talent-heavy first race, while Shannon Eckstein should be able to qualify without extending himself in the second semi-final.

That represents an important chance to save energy for the five-time winner who has a busy program across the week-long carnival.

Northcliffe will have the strongest hand in the semi-finals, with seven representatives, while Mooloolaba will have four.

Smith gave his chances of more Ironman glory at age 33 a lift when he led all the way to win the restricted (over-24) surf race today, outrunning City of Perth’s Simon Huitenga and Eckstein after they reached the shore close together.

After switching clubs from Cronulla to Manly this season, Smith has put a lot of work into his swimming, but he is unsure if that will improve his chances in Sunday’s big Ironman races, where the swim is the first leg, followed by the board and surf ski.

“I’d rather have the ski first,” Smith said.

“Having the swim first doesn’t do justice to the good swimmers because it’s too hard to break away from the field in these conditions, and then you get into a train in the board.

“It’s hard to get away.”

Smith will also be hunting the open surf race title tomorrow, a prize he has been unable to claim in more than a decade as one of the sport’s best swimmers.

“I’ve won this restricted surf race twice now but I’d give them both up to win the open surf,” he said.

Ky Hurst will be swimming for his 10^th open surf race gold medal tomorrow but he was unable to do better than fourth place in the restricted surf race and looks to be struggling to match the speed of some of the others in the flat conditions, where his unrivalled surf-swimming skills are of little use.

Defending champion Lachlan Tame of Avoca Beach put his bid to win a fourth consecutive open surf ski title on track with an impressive paddle today.

Tame showed his customary speed off the beach to set up a big early lead and was then able to cut back his stroke rate to cruise through to tomorrow’s semi-final.

It was a return to form after he struggled in the ski relay final on the first day of the carnival, which followed on the heels of the Australian kayak championships in Adelaide last week, where Tame won the K1 200 gold medal to keep his bid for a place at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games on track.

“Having a final on the first day was hard but now I’m getting used to surf ski racing again,” he said.

“People think that in these flat conditions it would be similar to kayak racing but they are different sports.

“I’ve been crook since the kayak championships and didn’t do much ski training in the last month but I’m starting to feel good now.”

Tame will be up against two of Australia’s gold medal-winning K4 1000 kayak crew, Tate Smith (Northcliffe) and David Smith (Warilla Barrack Point), in his semi-final

The other London gold medallists, Jacob Clear (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) and Murray Stewart (Northcliffe), are drawn in the first semi-final.

Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships 2014: Scarborough: WA: Day Three:

Men:

Open: 2km Run: Nick Leman (Inverloch) Mitchell Hoar (Trigg Island) Ali Najem (Wanda).Sprint: Jackson Symonds ( Sorrento (WA) Dean Scarff (Collaroy) Benjamin Mispelhorn (Kurrawa). Restricted Surf: Nathan Smith (Manly) Simon Huitenga (City of Perth) Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe)

U/19: 2km Run: Ali Najem (Wanda) Lachlan Pascoe (Kurrawa) Bruce Ridley (Port Bouvard).Sprint: Jake O`Brien (Avoca) Adam Sciberras (Dicky Beach) Nicholas Bate (Newport)

U/17: 2km Run: Oliver Hoare (North Cronulla) Jake Smith (Mullaloo) Indy Flexman (Jan Juc).

Sprint: Jason Gough (Mooloolaba) Timothy Delahunty (Currumbin) Hamish Lorang (Cooks Hill)

U/15: 2km Run: Dylan Foster (Alexandra Headland) Hamish Miller (Mount Maunganui, NZ) Callen Goldsmith, (Mount Martha).
Sprint: Cody Rychvalsky (Maroochydore)Ben Barratt (Somerton) Lewis Abdul (Grange)

Women: Open: 2km Run: Angela Leadbeatter (Swansea Belmont) Allison O'Toole (City of Perth) Erika Lori (North Cottesloe). Sprint: Jessica Thornton (Coogee (NSW) Murphy, Gabrielle (City of Perth) Brittany Houghton (City of Perth)

U/19: 2km Run: Emma Jeffcoat (Dee Why) Olivia Marsh (North Cottesloe) Megan Domarecki (West Beach) Sprint: Kaitlin Mott (Helensburgh-Stanwell Park) Emily Carty (Mordialloc) Tarnica Golisano (City of Perth)

U/17: 2km Run: Jessica Suriano (North Bondi) Rebecca Griffin (City of Bunbury) Alexandra Barnes (Byron Bay). Sprint: Jessica Thornton (Coogee, NSW) Nicole Kay (Mooloolaba) Kyla King (Cronulla)

U/15: 2km Run: Jazmin Lewsam (Southport) Scarlett Fahey (Northcliffe) Elly O`Donoghue (Wanda). Sprint: Olivia Fien (Currumbin) Sophie McGovern (North Curl Curl) Helena Schwerdt (Grange)

Progressive Pointscore: Northcliffe 228 Manly 86 Newport 73 City of Perth 70 Alexandra Headland 62 Mooloolaba 58 Maroochydore 53 Currumbin 50 North Cronulla 49 Trigg Island 39.

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