SHANNON AND NAOMI CROWNED AT COOGEE

Coogee Beach, February 22: Shannon Eckstein and Naomi Flood were today crowned the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman Series winners in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd at Sydney's Coogee Beach.

But their days could hardly have been more contrasting. David Moase Reports...

Eckstein, competing for the Telstra Southern Qld Sunfish, proved himself a cut above his rivals by comfortably racing through the three races of today's final, whereas Flood, captain of the Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers, struggled home in last place in the final but did just enough to secure the overall crown.

While Flood gave her rivals a chance of stealing the series, Eckstein showed no such generosity as he took out his fourth Kellogg's Nutri-Grain series.

Excelling in the tough three-race eliminator format in flat conditions, he was controlled and commanding in the day's first two races where the field was reduced from 18 Ironmen to just the top six for the final.

With the series and the final on the line in race three, Eckstein moved almost effortlessly into top gear to dominate the deciding race, winning clearly from Pierce Leonard (DHL Southern Ice) and Corey Jones (Citizen Northern Qld Lightning).

His closest series rival, Sunfish team mate Zane Holmes, who upset Eckstein in last year's final to win the series, placed a tired fourth ahead of surprise packet James Stewart (Sunfish) and up-and-coming Matt Poole (Inner Health Plus Northern NSW Hammers).

"It was a whole different feeling to last year," a beaming Eckstein said.

"Last year before the final race I said to Pat O'Keeffe, my coach, ‘I've got nothing left' but today before the last race I said to him ‘Gee, I feel a whole lot better than last year'.

"I had fun out there. I can't believe how good I felt today.

"I never felt once I was under pressure or struggling.

"I did see Zane blowing after the first race and thought he might be hurting a little bit but I couldn't discount him - he always finds something in that last race every year.

"I just had to get away in that last race and everything panned out pretty good."

Today's win meant Eckstein holds every major Ironman title - Australian, World, Nutri-Grain series - apart from the long-distance nib Coolangatta Gold, which he did not contest but was won by his brother, Caine.

The 25-year-old said he felt fitter and mentally stronger in this year's Nutri-Grain series and was determined to not make the same mistakes that cost him the 2008 title.

"Last year I had some shoulder and neck trouble and I couldn't do the kilometres in the pool that I usually do and I was underdone," he said.

"This year I've done a lot more swimming and that's a lot of our base work, and I knew I was a fitter than last year.

"Last year I had the title to lose - I was going for three in a row - and maybe that added pressure played on my mind a little bit.

"This year I had nothing to lose even though I was in front on the points - Zane was defending champion and for me it was get out there and do my best."

His best was far too good for the rest of the elite field that included veteran Dean Mercer (Lightning) who was retiring after 21 years in the Nutri-Grain series.

For Eckstein, races one and two today were mere positioning for the decider. He was always well in control, matched closest by Leonard who showed his best form of the series.

In the final race they opened a handy lead in the ski leg and then Eckstein caught a wave in the swim to open up a 30m advantage.

From there, only one competitor was going to win the race and the series.

TIRED FLOOD HANGS ON FOR MAIDEN TITLE

There was no such clear-cut result in the women's race as a ‘stuffed' Flood faded into sixth and last place in the final but had done enough in the earlier rounds of the series to claim top prize.

She had a six-point advantage over Hammers team mate Courtney Hancock going into the final and was eight points clear of Kristyl Smith (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins), the winner of rounds one and two in the Series.                                                                                                              

The Hammers captain looked strong in the first two races today but faded badly in the swim leg of the last race and then struggled in the concluding board leg.

As she faded to sixth, the race ahead of her decided the Series.

While Smith needed to finish four places ahead of Flood to snatch the title, it was defending Nutri-Grain series champion Elizabeth Pluimers (Sunfish) who excelled in Coogee's flat surf to produce her best race of the season and score a comfortable win over Australian champion Alicia Marriott (Jeep Western Waves) with Smith in third place.

That ensured Flood would take out her first Nutri-Grain series.

"My face is sore from smiling so much," Flood said moments after being told she had won.

"I work at a bank but I'm not so good with numbers so as I ran to the finish I wasn't sure what had happened.

"I realised I would be first or second but to come out on top was amazing. When they came over and said you've won by two points, I though ‘unbelievable'.

Flood, 22, has been competing in the Nutri-Grain series since she was 14 and has waited eight long seasons to reach the winner's plaice on the dais.

"I've come through the ranks, I've been around the top group for a while and won a couple of races in the last couple of years and to come out on top is awesome," she said.

"This is something no one can take away from me and a very memorable one."

Flood, the 2005 Australian Ironwoman champion, puts her success down to a new training regime under coach Trent Herring in the past eight months that has seen her lose weight and change her body shape.

"At the world titles in Germany last year I was strong but I wasn't very fit," she said.

"Now I've changed my body shape a bit and as I'm looking to compete in kayaking I'm trying to get a leaner and stronger build.

"I've still got a bit to do - I'm not saying I'm an oil painting - and I'm looking to get smaller and smaller and stronger and stronger."

Flood went into the race as favourite but said the most pressure she felt came from herself.

"The outside pressure was a lot but I put a lot of pressure on myself and play mind games with myself and that's something I've worked on a lot, trying to block out things like that," she said.

"I've been just enjoying the last two weeks since Coolum, it's been really good. There's been a lot of hype around it and it's been lots of fun."

Eckstein finished the men's series on 105 points, ahead of Holmes (96), Poole and Leonard (85), Jones (83), Nathan Smith (Express Glass Southern NSW Blue Fins, 66), Wes Berg (Blue Fins, 63), Chris Allum (Blue Fins, 57), Hugh Dougherty (Hammers, 56) and Mercer (56).

A tight women's series saw Flood on 83 points ahead of Smith and Pluimers (81), Hancock (79), Marriott (72), Gemma Newbiggin (Lightning, 68), Alyce Bennett (Blue Fins, 66), Hayley Bateup (Ice, 60), Rebecca Creedy (Waves, 54) and Brodie Moir (Waves, 49).

The teams' title went to the Sunfish on 28 points, ahead of the Hammers (25) and Lightning (23).