Golden dream in Josh Minogue’s last hurrah at Coolangatta
Surf Life Saving Australia, November 2, 2014: Mooloolaba’s Josh Minogue could not have scripted the final chapter of his brilliant career any sweeter after being crowned the 2014 Coolangatta Gold champion on the Gold Coast today.
In a dramatic finale to Surf Lifesaving’s toughest endurance Ironman race, five-time champion Caine Eckstein was forced to retire from the race mid-way through the board paddle from Burleigh Heads to Currumbin.
It opened the door for Minogue to stamp his authority on the final race of his career - a race staged in what women’s winner Liz Pluimers described as “absolutely brutal” conditions.
Minogue, off the back of the fastest individual swim leg of the day, celebrated a dream day to cross the line in 4 hours 12 minutes 10 seconds – to win by over seven minutes from Northcliffe’s Jake Nicholson (4:19.470 with Alexandra Headlands teenager Sam Bull (4:25.03) third.
North Burleigh’s Pluimers came from behind in the toughest race of her career to pass former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rebecca Creedy on the board leg and become only the third woman to win two Coolangatta Golds.
Victorian mother-of-two Naantali Marshall celebrated her 40th birthday and a life time in surf sports with the bronze medal.
Eckstein, suffering fatigue and the affects of a torn bicep muscle, was brought into Currumbin for treatment and arrived back at Coolangatta down-hearted but declared he would live to fight another day.
In true sportsmanship, Minogue, who will retire to pursue a career in television, paid tribute to Eckstein – declaring him to be a true champion who drove him to bring out the best in himself.
“I guess every dog has his day and today’s my day,” said Minogue.
“I honestly feel for Caine; what a champion but the Coolangatta Gold I guess can test you out.
“I was here today to celebrate my journey in the sport and if there was one race I wish I could win growing up in the sport it was always the Coolangatta Gold.
“To now have my name on the trophy is just amazing – in fact I feel so humbled – I don’t believe I deserve to be on the list amongst the greats of the sport including my coach Michael King, Rhys Drury, my training partner Ali Day, Caine, Guy Leech. What a list.”
Pluimers paid tribute to Creedy and admitted she brought out the best in her in what was a true duel between the two top seeds.
Pluimers a veteran of seven Coolangatta Golds drew on all of her experience to get over the top of Gold debutant Creedy.
The pair hit the beach at Miami together after the 23 kilometre ski paddle from Coolangatta to Miami via-Broadbeach.
Creedy then dominated the swim opening up a two minute lead in the swim but Pluimers, a specialist board paddler caught and passed her when they hit the beach at Currumbin.
Both girls were spent but it was Pluimers who raced away on the 7.1 run to Coolangatta to clock 4 hours 46 mins 33 secs with Creedy second (4:49.48) and Marshall (5:01.03).
“I have to pay tribute to Rebecca for pushing me the whole race; she kept me honest through every leg and I could not have done the race without her,” said Pluimers, who joins Hayley Bateup and Alicia Marriott as the third women to win two Golds.
“It was brutal. The board paddle into that wind and chop was tough and I did a lot of the race with my eyes squinted from the salt and wind.
“But I am over the moon to win this race after setting myself for it in June and deciding to miss the World Championships.”
Pluimers will now go down in history as one of Ironwoman racing’s great’s winning two Coolangatta Golds and the Australian Championship in the space of 12 months.
Meanwhile Ironman legend Grant Kenny showed all the grit determination that took him to four Australian Ironman championships and the Los Angeles Olympics kayak bronze when he crossed the line in a dead heat with Glen Lawrence in the 50 plus Masters division.
There was also hype around the “Leechy’s Legends” team, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Guy Leech’s original win in the 1984 Coolangatta Gold.
Made up of past champions, Rhys Drury (2007) the ski; Darren Mercer (1992) the board; Ali Day (2012 and 2013) and Leech (1984 and 1985) finished fifth in the Open Men’s Teams event won by Queenscliff Gold which included the Allum brothers Chris and Hayden, Dane Sloss and Matthew Able.
In other news Popular Gold Coast physio Nick Marshall became the first competitor to complete 10 straight Coolangatta Golds when he finished 17th in the Elite field in 5 hours 03.32.
RESULTS
SURF LIFE SAVING
COOLANGATTA GOLD 2014 – Long Course 41.5km
Female Elite Long Course
1 Elizabeth Pluimers 4:46:33 2 Rebecca Creedy 4:49:48 3 Naantali Marshall 5:01:03 4 Kirstie Hardstaff 5:03:30 5 Kira Kinsey 5:06:06 6 Jayde Hardstaff 5:06:47 7 Emma Armstrong 5:12:38 8 Zoe Heinger 5:17:03 9 Jade Mickle 5:17:32 10 Tiarne Smith 5:23:49
40-49
1 Sarah Davis 7:25:44
Open Teams
1 Swanette’s (A Burnett, M Attow, B Hartland, E McMenamin) 4:52:40 2 Jay Hach (J Harrod, R King, J Collins, J Baxter) 5:00:43
Male Elite Long Course
1 Josh Minogue 4:12:10 2 Jake Nicholson 4:19:47 3 Samuel Bull 4:25:03 4 Sam Fuller 4:30:50 5 Isak Costello 4:31:56 6 Jack Retty 4:33:17 7 Dane Farrell 4:33:41 8 Benjamin Zuill 4:34:29 9 Joel Simondson 4:34:37 10 Mackenzie Hynard 4:37:21
20-29
1 Brad Mitchell 5:37:42 2 James Fennell 5:55:45
30-39
1 Ben Bolewski 4:56:04 2 Luke O’Garey 3 Chad Poland 5:00:04 4 Tait Brannock 5:03:00 5 Wes Enticott 5:25:47 6 Corey Geoghegan 5:27:36 7 Ashley Frankes 5:29:04 8 Bradley Cummins 5:30:13 9 Luke Nolan 5:36:56 10 Brett Walsh 5:40:26
40-49
1 Mark Forrester 4:50:52 2 Boyd Conrick 5:00:02 3 Shane Whittaker 5:02:37 4 Carl Greenhalgh 5:06:28 5 Russall Cooper 5:12:21 6 Ty Dowker 5:13:05 7 Michael Jennett 5:17:16 8 Tristan Read 5:17:29 9 Wayne Marshall 5:26:15 10 Steven Cahill 5:31:43
50+
1 Glen Lawrence 4:58:57 2 Grant Kenny 4:58:57 3 Kim Harker 5:01:42 4 Ian Wright 5:06:54 5 Roger Allwright 6:07:33
Open Teams
1 Queenscliff Gold (C Allum, M Able, D Sloss, H Allum )4:05:17 2 Headland Boys (B Doughan, N Green, J Kenny, J Porter) 4:06:37 3 Zchill (C Hill, Z Orchard, D Lahey, M Evans )4:07:44 4 The Ronald McDonalds (C Alston, L Jones, O Signorini, F Davies) 4:20:48 5 Leechy’s Legend’s (G Leech, A Day, R Dury, D Mercer ) 4:26:36 6 Yesterdays Hero’s (P Elford, T Robinson, J Dodson, W Thompson) 4:31:22 7 Front Yard Warriors (L Tame, A Benson, L Carmichael, R Mcluckie ) 4:45:52 8 D.U.B.S (M Fagerstrom, J Hogarth, M Wardhaugh, S White) 4:47:50 9 The Buzzards (I McClymont, G Linley, R Goulding, H Harrison) 4:55:44 10 Clarence Connection ( P R heinberger, P Winton, T Ives, F Robinson)5:00:01
Masters Teams
1 Hav’n A Go (A Massie, K Jarrot, H Collie, D Naylor) 4:25:04 2 Mailbu Maters (J Purcell, Paul Lemmon, L Hall, B Jones) 4:38:23 3 The Team That Beat The Col’s Team (C Busse, G Parry, M Houston, M McGrath) 5:00:03 4 Manly Old & Bold (J Platt, M Williams, C Bell, S Wilton) 5:08:08 5 Mad Mackerels (D Corbett, J Foreman, C Delahunty, F Page) 5:13:49 6 Sea Eagles (G Jones, R Brierty, J Miller, P Nickel) 5:17:08 7 Manly Twosome (M Hill, N Edmonds) 5:33:12 8 North Bondi – G & T (T Henry, G Clark) 5:46:38
Mixed Open Teams
1 Dee Why Surprise (S Mortimer, E Jeffcoat, B Taylor, C Woolett) 4:19:36 2 Team Moses (L Moses, L Moses, C Moses, J Moses) 4:48:29 3 Kozii Blue Crew (C Hall, B Hancock) 4:51:29 4 The Hydrated Madmins (M Trim, S Brisby, S Lang, M Murray) 4:53:52 5 Dally’s Team (P Peterson, S Dalziel, J Dalziel, N Chapman) 4:58:12 6 Team Salt (P Kelly, G Lovett, I Rowlands, B Sweeney) 5:44:11 7 Ob Wan Kenobi (G Edwards, E Edwards, A Camp, S Smith) 6:19:51
Mixed Masters Teams
1 Team Strike (M Carpenter, G Schoffl, T Dickinson, S Hudson) 2 One Hit Wonders (P O’Shea, T Bremner, J Goss, K O’Shea) 5:32:10 3 The Real Manly Team ( M Epper, S Korstanje, D Mulcahy, G Booker) 5:56:45 4 Nelson Bay Crusties (M Watson, S Goyne, C Holland) 6:02:40
Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia
Media Manager, 2014 Australian Commonwealth Games Team
Deputy Media Manager 2016 Australian Olympic Team
Media Manager 2014 Pan Pacs
Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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