‘VETERAN' HAYLEY RACES TO THRILLING WIN

January 17: Three-time Coolangatta Gold winner Hayley Bateup showed age is no barrier with a determined victory in round two of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman Series at Kurrawa today.

Bateup, who turned 30 last week, produced one of the most satisfying wins of her career in the exciting Accumulator round.

After the individual ski, board and swim races, it was five-time series runner-up Kristyl Smith who started from scratch in the final.

She was followed Bateup (three seconds behind), Elizabeth Pluimers (18) Alicia Marriott (20) and Naomi Flood (21).

Bateup gritted her teeth and led through the opening ski keg of the traditional Ironwoman final.

But Smith and Flood were hot on her heals, with Flood catching up her 20 second handicap.

But it was Bateup's improved swimming ability which kept her in the quest for victory.

She chased Smith, Flood and Marriott in the transition to the final board leg, which saw Bateup make the most of the tricky conditions.

She was able to get the most out of a small wave as the leaders raced back to the beach and was on her feet quicker than her rivals to outsprint Smith and Marriott for a thrilling victory.

"I would have liked to start off zero in the final but three seconds is nothing and I knew I'd be able to catch up," she said.

"I felt really good racing today. In round one I was only blowing out the cobwebs  and I always feel better racing after a bad race.

"It's good to win a Kellogg's race. At 30 I'm the oldest in there and it just shows that age isn't a barrier, it's how you feel and I feel great.

"I've said to myself I want to finish no worse than fourth in any race and I'd have been happy with a podium finish today but to win it I'm stoked."