HURST DOMINANT IN OPENING NUTRI-GRAIN TRIAL

GOLD COAST, Saturday (December 5): Olympian Ky Hurst today made a triumphant return to Ironman racing when he streeted the field in the opening round of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman Series qualifying trial at Tugun on the Gold Coast.

Twenty-eight-year-old Hurst had not raced in a major Ironman competition since winning his fourth Australian Ironman title in 2002.

In a dominant performance Kurrawa's Hurst won the "M-shaped" combination of swim, ski and board by 100 metres from his former Tugun team mate Hugh Dougherty, with 2007 Coolangatta Gold winner Rhys Drury (Dicky Beach) third.

Despite Hurst saying he was far from his fittest, the six-time Australian open surf race champion, showed all the skills and the power that makes him one of Australia's premier watermen.

"It's great to be back racing again and my aim coming into the Trial was to be consistent and so far that's been the case," said Hurst, who has his sights on the 2012 London Olympics in open water swimming.

"I tried to conserve as much energy as I could on the board because it (all this racing) does take a lot out of you.

"But it is good to be back racing again and back at Tugun, where I have so many great memories and my mum still works here so it's nice."

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Evergreen Dean Mercer, at 40, hobbled into fourth place, appearing to damage his calf muscle, which could well hamper the rest of his weekend's racing.

Competitors are chasing 11 positions from this weekend's Trial with the opening round to be conducted at Kurrawa on January 16 and 17.

The women's race saw a rejuvenated Allira Richardson (Mooloolaba) come from behind to beat 1998 Commonwealth Games swimming gold medallist Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra) with three-time nib Coolangatta Gold winner Hayley Bateup coming from well back to finish third.

Richardson used all her skills on the final board leg to skip past a tiring Creedy, who dominated the opening swim and ski legs.

"It is very tricky out there with the chop, rips, sweeps and a talented field of girls," said Richardson, who has moved from Maroochydore to Mooloolaba and coach Michael King this year.

Creedy said she was finally feeling more like an Ironwoman than a swimmer.

"I think I've finally made the transition to the surf - I feel confident and ready to stamp my authority on Ironwomen racing this year."

Round two will conduction this afternoon with the third and final round tomorrow (Sunday) morning.


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