Tassie ironman so close
TASMANIAN ironman Matt Bevilacqua yesterday won the fifth and final round of the Nutri-Grain series at Cronulla in Sydney.
In the process the 27-yearold, originally from Lauderdale, fell just short of his second ironman series title.
Bevilacqua won the ironman series in 2018, and almost repeated the effort yesterday, his victory helping him to claim second outright in the series in a thrilling finale.
“It was a spectacular way to finish,” Bevilacqua said after the race.
Kendrick Louis finished fourth yesterday, which was enough to secure the series win. Louis’s main rival for the title was expected to be Tanyn Lyndon, but the Queenslander was knocked out in the second of three elimination races.
With former multiple iron champion turned Olympic swimmer and America’s Cup sailor Ky Hurst in his corner as handler, Louis was able to win his first overall ironman title at age 29.
“This means the world to me,’’ said Louis, who owns and runs his own digital marketing business at Manly and works eight-hour days around training. “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been so close so many times. I’m just stunned really. It was definitely worth the wait.’’
Former northern beaches athlete Matt Poole, now based in Queensland, finished third overall.
Louis prepared for the season as part of the Australian surf life saving team, which contested and won the international surf rescue challenge in Durban, South Africa.