KRISTYL SHINES THANKS TO NAMOI AS BLUE FINS DOMINATE
Gold Coast, January 17: Kristyl Smith continued her impressive return to surf sports with two victories in round one of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman Series at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast today.
Smith is on the comeback trail after a 12-month break from the sport and completed a dominating victory in the Ironwoman race, held over a gruelling M-shaped course in testing choppy and windy conditions.
Leading the way for her Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins team, she also linked with older brother Nathan Smith to win the mass board rescue and watched as Nathan, Alyce Bennett and Chris Allum won the Taplin relay to round out an blue ribbon day for the Blue Fins.
Australian Ironman champion Shannon Eckstein (Telstra Southern Qld Sunfish) used his knowledge of the local conditions to comfortably win the Ironman race after being matched for much of the way by Pierce Leonard (DHL Southern Ice).
Smith looked highly impressive in the Ironwoman but without the generosity of her closest rival she wouldn't have even made it to the start line.
The 2005 Australian Ironwoman champion snapped her ski paddle while warming up before the race but was loaned a replacement by 2006 national champion Naomi Flood (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers).
It was a decision Flood probably now regrets after Smith proved too strong in the concluding ski leg of today's race and beat her by 40 metres.
"When I snapped the paddle I knew Floody used the same brand and luckily she had a spare," Smith said.
"When she gave it to me she said if we were close at the end I would have to let her win but I wasn't going to do that."
Smith, 25, said her experience gave her a vital edge over her younger rivals.
"This is my 10th year competing and experience in these conditions makes a big difference," she said.
"I didn't get caught up in the tricky breaks - it was a smart race."
Flood overcame a slow start to close within touching distance of Smith in the ski leg but couldn't do enough to take the race.
Gold Coaster Terri Sullivan (Telstra Southern Qld Sunfish) won a sprint up the beach to take third place ahead of Sunfish team mate Elizabeth Pluimers.
They were followed across the line by Gemma Newbiggin (Citizen Northern Qld Lightning), Alicia Marriott (Jeep Western Waves), Hayley Bateup (DHL Southern Ice), who struck trouble in the ski leg, Ice team mate Flora Manciet, Chelsea Mackenzie (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins) and Brodie Moir (Jeep Western Waves) rounding out the top 10.
In the Ironman, Eckstein was pushed throughout by training partner Leonard before breaking clear in the second part of the concluding ski leg.
The reigning Australian Ironman champion crossed the finish line nearly 50 metres ahead of Leonard, with their arch rival Zane Holmes (Telstra Southern Qld Sunfish) well back in third place.
Having trained and raced all his life on the Gold Coast, Eckstein wasn't worried by the difficulties the conditions created for many competitors.
"The wind made it really tough but then again it is like this on about 70 per cent of afternoons on the Gold Coast," he said.
"Training regularly in these conditions makes a big difference on race day."
Eckstein is hopeful of backing up today's victory with another strong showing in tomorrow's round two, which will be raced in the gut-busting eliminator format.
"I'm normally better on the second day than the first," he said.
Matt Poole (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) showed impressive form to finish behind the big three and ahead of strong performers such as Wes Berg, Nathan Smith and Chris Allum (all Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins), Corey Jones and veteran Dean Mercer (Citizen Northern Qld Lightning) and up-and-comer James Stewart (Telstra Southern Qld Sunfish).
The Blue Fins' win in the Taplin relay was a major coup as Nathan Smith, Alyce Bennett and Chris Allum defeated the classy Sunfish line-up of Elizabeth Pluimers, Shannon Eckstein and Zane Holmes.
Third place went to the Lightning team of Allira Richardson, Corey Jones and Dylan Newbiggin.
In the mass board resuce, the Smith siblings edged out their Blue Fins team mates Bennett and Berg, while Pluimers and Eckstein placed third for the Sunfish.
After round one, the Blue Fins lead the team pointscore on six points, from Sunfish (5), Hammers (4), Lightning (3), Ice (2) and Waves (1).
The 18 men and 18 women in the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Series will return to Kurrawa tomorrow for round two, which will involve eliminator-style Ironman and Ironwoman races and round of the mass board rescue and Taplin relay.
* Highlights of the round one action will be shown on Channel 7 at noon tomorrow.
2009 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman Series
Round 1
Kurrawa, Gold Coast
Ironman
Shannon Eckstein (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Pierce Leonard (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Zane Holmes (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Matt Poole (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) Wes Berg (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins) Nathan Smith (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins) Chris Allum (DHL Southern Ice) Corey Jones (Citizen Northern QLD Lightning) Dean Mercer (Citizen Northern QLD Lightning) James Stewart (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Hugh Dougherty (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) Dylan Newbiggin (Citizen Northern QLD Lightning) Luke Nisbet (Jeep Western Waves) Jack Hansen (DHL Southern Ice) Kendrick Louis (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) Brendon Sarson (Jeep Western Waves) Hayden Allum (DHL Southern Ice) Andrew Mosel (Jeep Western Waves)
Ironwoman
Kristyl Smith (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins) Naomi Flood (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) Terri Sullivan (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Elizabeth Pluimers (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Gemma Newbiggin (Citizen Northern QLD Lightning) Alicia Marriott (Jeep Western Waves) Hayley Bateup (DHL Southern Ice) Flora Manciet (DHL Southern Ice) Chelsea Mackenzie (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins)
Brodie Moir (Jeep Western Waves) Bonnie Hancock (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) Alyce Bennett (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins) Chloe Jones (Citizen Northern QLD Lightning) Allira Richardson (Citizen Northern QLD Lightning) Courtney Hancock (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers) Bianca Lee (Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) Kirsten Ulmer (DHL Southern Ice) Rebecca Creedy (Jeep Western Waves)
Mass Board Rescue
Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins (Kristyl Smith Nathan Smith) Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins (Alyce Bennett Wes Berg) Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish ( Elizabeth Pluimers Shannon Eckstein) Southern DHL Ice (Flora Manciet Hayden Allum) Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish (Bianca Lee Zane Holmes) Southern DHL Ice (Hayley Bateup Pierce Leonard) Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers (Bonnie Hancock Matt Poole) Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish) (Terri Sullivan James Stewart) Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers (Courtney Hancock Hugh Dougherty) Northern QLD Citizen Lightning (Gemma Newbiggin Dylan Newbiggin) Northern QLD Citizen Lightning (Chloe Jones Corey Jones) Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins (Chelsea Mackenzie Chris Allum) Southern DHL Ice (Kirsten Ulmer Jack Hansen) Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers (Naomi Flood Kendrick Louis) Northern QLD Citizen Lightning (Allira Richardson Dean Mercer) Western Jeep Waves (Rebecca Creedy Luke Nisbet) Western Jeep Waves (Alicia Marriott Andrew Mosel) Western Jeep Waves (Brodie Moir Brendon Sarson)
Taplin
Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins (Alyce Bennett Nathan Smith Chris Allum) Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish (Elizabeth Pluimers Shannon Eckstein Zane Holmes) Northern QLD Citizen Lightning (Allira Richardson Corey Jones Dylan Newbiggin) Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers (Bonnie Hancock Kendrick Louis Hugh Dougherty) Southern DHL Ice (Pierce Leonard Kirsten Ulmer Hayden Allum) Western Jeep Waves (Andrew Mosel Rebecca Creedy Luke Nisbet
Overall Results
Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins 6
Telstra Southern QLD Sunfish 5
Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers 4
Northern QLD Citizen Lightning 3
Southern DHL Ice 2
Western Jeep Waves 1