Matt Poole’s shock elimination in Aussies ironman semi-final
Surf Life Saving Australia, April 20, 2017: Kurrawa star Matt Poole was a surprise elimination in the semi-finals of the open Ironman at the 2018 Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships at Scarborough Beach in Perth today.
Racing in a semi-final that included five-time Coolangatta Gold winners Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe) and Ali Day (Surfers Paradise), Poole finished well outside the top eight who progressed to tomorrow’s final.
The other semi-final was led home by Manly’s Kendrick Louis and eight-time Australian Ironman champion Shannon Eckstein.
Poole, the 2017 Nutri-Grain Ironman series champion, was seventh after the opening board leg and at the end of the swim was part of a large group chasing the leading trio of Eckstein, Day and Ben Carberry (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) in pursuit of the remaining qualifying places.
Leaving the beach in the board leg, Poole had to roll under a wave that his rivals were able to get over and suddenly found himself in 12th place and a long way behind.
“I’m devastated. The heat and the quarter felt really good, feeling pretty fit, and unfortunately that’s just sort of the day,” Poole said.
“If you make a couple of little mistakes, everyone was so close through that entire race. I swam through the pack and got myself back up there, then turned around and they were all on a wave.
“Then I had to roll under one on the board so it made it hard for myself.
“I don’t really know, just a bit of bad luck I think and unfortunately I got pipped.”
Day, who is chasing his first Australian ironman title, expressed relief at qualifying for the final but was disappointed to see Poole trailing behind the qualifiers.
“I’m gutted for him,” Day said.
“He’s a good mate of mine and he more than anyone deserves to be there. I know how much he works at it and how much it means to him. He’s so passionate about the sport.
“I was lucky enough to learn from him when I moved up to Mooloolaba years ago. I know how he feels and he’ll bounce back in the board rescue and other events this afternoon.”
Day and Caine Eckstein went stroke for stroke during the swim and board legs and both look strong chances of wresting the title from Shannon Eckstein in Saturday’s final.
“I got a good start and I was with Caine the whole time and we were sitting pretty nicely at the front of the field the whole time,” Day said.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I feel I’m doing everything really well at the moment and I’m really suited to this flat sort of course.
“I’ve had good results before here in Perth and I felt really comfortable just then, so bring on tomorrow.”
In the Ironwoman semi-finals, two-time champion Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe) had a big scare as she was unseated from her ski twice at the start of her race and found herself in 12th place, and a long way behind the pack.
Hancock used her powerful swimming to work her way back into the race, eventually qualifying in fifth place but saying some of her supporters watching had “aged a few years” as she struggled in the early stages.
“I managed to lose my ski at the start and there were a couple of us that were a bit back,” she said.
“I think the other girls were at the first ski can before I got going so I had a fair bit to catch up.
“As the race went on, I felt really good and really strong. You’ve got to have confidence, although I made it pretty hard for myself. Hopefully the final is easier than that.”
Noosa Heads pair Lana Rogers and Jordan Mercer, along with Northcliffe’s Harriet Brown, headed the field in that semi-final, while the second semi-final saw another two-time champion, Rebecca Creedy (Kurrawa), head the qualifiers, along with Naomi Scott (Manly) and Alex Nolan (Northcliffe).
Sixteen competitors qualified for each of the Ironman and Ironwoman finals, which will be raced on Saturday.
Open Ironman finalists: Kendrick Louis (Manly), Alastair Day (Surfers Paradise), Caine Eckstein (Northcliffe), Shannon Eckstein (Northcliffe), Jarryd McDonnell (Surfers Paradise), Max Beattie (Surfers Paradise), Daniel Collins (Redhead), Ben Carberry (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), Charlie Brooks (Newport), Jackson Maynard (Currumbin), James Lacy (Mermaid Beach), Trevor Hendy (Surfers Paradise), Jay Furniss (Manly), Max Brooks (Newport), Hayden White (Currumbin), Matt Bevilacqua (Kurrawa).
Open Ironwoman finalists: Lana Rogers (Noosa Heads), Rebecca Creedy (Kurrawa), Harriet Brown (Northcliffe), Naomi Scott (Manly), Jordan Mercer (Noosa Heads), Alexandra Nolan (Northcliffe), Lizzie Welborn (North Bondi), Jemma Smith (Umina), Courtney Hancock (Northcliffe), Prue Davies (Currumbin), Tiarrn Raymond (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), Maddy Dunn (Northcliffe), Taylar Puskaric (Manly), Madison Spencer (Newport), Georgia Miller (Newport), Megan Kreuter (Northcliffe).
Meanwhile in finals action, Sunshine Coast club, Alexandra Headland won its second Lifesaver Relay gold medal in five years.
Champion boat sweep Davies crew of Robyn De Vlugt (stroke), Brigette Seymour (second stroke), Rebecca Davis (second bow) and Kirsty Whitby (bow) played their part before young swim star Coop Williams dived in to mix.
He faced some of the best surf swimmers at the carnival including Under 19 surf race winner Bailey Armstrong (Northcliffe) and Under 17 surf race winner Haydn Cotter (Maroochydore), defending Australian open surf race winner Ollie Signorini (Newport) and ironman star and champion surfer Jackson Maynard (Currumbin).
Williams tagged board paddler Jett Kenny in a close up fifth and Kenny put in the paddle of his life to put Alex right in the frame as he tagged champion ski paddler James Porter in third.
Porter, who was also in the team that won the gold in 2014, flew off the beach alongside Mitchell Trim (Newport) and Cory Hill (Northcliffe), with Hayden White (Currumbin) in hot pursuit.
And by the third turning buoy it was Trim and Porter going stroke for stroke before Porter lifted on the paddle back to the beach to give young beach sprinter Thomas Baker just enough to give Alex the gold medal edge.
Baker took off on the final 100m beach sprint to secure the gold from Northcliffe and Newport.
Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia
Ian Hanson
Hanson Media Group
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Ian Hanson| Media Manager Triathlon Australia Managing Director
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