BATEUP WITHDRAWS FROM NUTRI-GRAIN SERIES AFTER SHOULDER SURGERY

SEPTEMBER 16: Three-time Coolangatta Gold winner and former Australian Ironwoman champion Hayley Bateup faces a race against time to be fit for the final rounds of the 2010-11 Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Series after undergoing shoulder and bicep surgery.

Bateup, one of six automatic qualifiers from last season's Series, will be in a sling for six weeks and will face three months of rehabilitation. She hopes to be available for the fourth round of the Series at Portsea on January 1.Organisers have told Bateup that if she is ready she will be given an injury wildcard taking the field to 21.

Bateup's withdrawal and the withdrawal of 2009 Kellogg's winner Naomi Flood, who is now chasing Olympic kayak selection for London in 2012, means there will be 10 places and not eight up for grabs out of the weekend's Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Trial at Tugun, on the Gold Coast.

Bateup, who finished fifth in last year's Series behind Alicia Marriott, Liz Pluimers, Flood and Kristyl Smith said: "I went in for the surgery last week for what I thought was going to be a routine clean up of my shoulder but it turned out that my bicep tendon was flat and frayed where it connects to the bone. The doctor had to change plans in the surgery and reattach it correctly.

"It means I am in a sling for six weeks and won't be able to start the series in November. I am obviously very disappointed but on the positive side I now know what the problem is and after the recovery period I plan to work very hard to try and get back before the end of the series."

Series Director Guy Leech has given Bateup an assurance she will be awarded an injury wildcard if she can prove her fitness before the end of the season, bringing the Ironwoman field to 21 - made up of Marriott, Pluimers, Smith, Courtney Hancock, 10 qualifiers from  the Trial and six wildcards.

Three-time Coolangatta Gold winner Caine Eckstein has ruled himself out of this weekend's Trial after an energy-sapping virus has curtailed his training and he will apply for one of the six wildcard entries.

"It is probably the worst I have ever felt and I really questioned what was happening to my body - I lasted five minutes in a training race last Saturday at Northcliffe and with the Coolangatta Gold my main focus (as well as the Series), I could not afford to take any risks," said Eckstein, who said he had facted in the Trial as part of his Gold preparation.

"I will be applying for a wildcard, so I will just have to wait and see how it pans out."

But there will be a host of last year's contracted athletes heading to Tugun this weekend, with Matt Poole, Cory Hill, brother and sister combination Dylan and Gemma Newbiggin, Bonnie Hancock and Brodie Moir among those vying for contracts again.

Surf Life Saving Australia has received 114 entries - 68 men and 46 women for Saturday's opening two qualifying rounds, before Sunday morning's finals.

The Series proper kicks off at Currumbin on the Gold Coast on November 21.

Eight of last year's contracted men; Poole and Newbiggin (Mooloolaba), Hill (Northcliffe), Mark Simpson (Cronulla), James Stewart (North Burleigh), Sam Hamilton (Tugun), Jono Stock (Manly) and New Zealand champion Daniel Moodie (Northcliffe) head a red-hot men's field.

Also in the field will be former Ironman star Wes Berg (North Burleigh), returning South African champion Wade Krieger (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) and a host of young guns.

Berg, coach at North Burleigh, will be fighting some of his younger charges, Thomas Trembath, Sam Hunt and Simon Carlton in the race to make the cut.

There are eight of last year's contracted women  including Terri Sullivan (Northcliffe), Bonnie Hancock (Northcliffe), Rebecca Creedy (Metropolitan Caloundra), Alyce Bennett (North Burleigh), Allira Richardson (Mooloolaba), Sheree Merryful (Northcliffe), Moir (North Burleigh) and Newbiggin (Mooloolaba), lining up for a shot at this year's Series.

Leading coach Phil Clayton agree with a lot at stake, this weekend's competition is sure to be fierce.

"There is a real buzz building for the Trial this weekend - there is no doubt it will be one of the most competitive Trials we have seen in many years, it's exciting," said Clayton, who has seven starters from the Kurrawa club.

"There will be no place to hide that's for sure but it is certainly healthy to have that many entries."

Two rounds will be conducted on Saturday with the top 20 placed competitors from the accumulative points in rounds 1 & 2 proceeding to Sunday's M-shaped final (approximately 40 minutes).

The results in the final will determine the athletes that will join Shannon Eckstein, Hugh Dougherty, Ky Hurst, Corey Jones, Ali Day and Rhys Drury qualify for the 2010-11 KNG Ironman Series.

SERIES GUIDELINES: In accordance with SLSA and Event Organiser Trial guidelines: "Should any of the qualified athletes or any athlete who qualified as part of the trial withdraw from the series, the replacement athletes will be based on the results at the trial."

In regards to wildcard entries for the series there will be a further six males and six females which may or may not be used at the Event Organiser's discretion following the trial.

In the case where the wildcards are not used by Even Organisers, the positions would then be filled by referring back to the results from trial.

SATURDAY RACING

Saturday Morning 8.00am:
Round One (Approx 40 min M shaped course All Competitors)
(Swim/Ski/Board)
Open Women Randomly selected heats of 20 (Points allocated 20-1 for each heat)
Open Men Randomly selected heats of 20 (Points allocated 20-1 for each heat)
Saturday Afternoon:
Round Two (Approx 40min M shaped course- All Competitors)
(Board/Swim/Ski)
Open Women Random/seeded heats of 20 (Points allocated 20-1 for each heat)
Open Men Random/seeded heats of 20 (Points allocated 20-1 for each heat)

SUNDAY RACING

Sunday Morning 9:00am:
Final (Approx 40min M shaped course - top 20 athletes from accumulated points in R1 & R2)
(Ski/Board/Swim)
Open Women:  1 x Final of 20. Top 8 finishers qualify for series
Open Men:  1 x Final of 20. Top 8 finishers qualify for series

The top 20 placed competitors from the accumulative points in rounds 1 & 2 will proceed to the final - The results in the final will determine the athletes that will qualify for the 2010-11 KNG Ironman Series.