Flooded with talent
NAOMI Flood may be retired but she has one of the toughest jobs on the beach at this weekend’s Nutri-Grain ironwoman series.
Flood, a series winner in 2009, Australian ironwoman champion and two-time Olympian has moved into a new role coaching Northcliffe’s high-profile women’s squad.
But with five Northcliffe athletes vying for surf lifesaving’s ultimate honour, Flood is in a bind.
“You can’t be biased to anyone but it’s also exciting,’’ Flood said of watching Harriet Brown, Courtney Hancock, Danielle McKenzie, Maddy Dunn and Kristyl Smith vie for the title.
“We have so many girls in the series and we all train together every day and I think that’s been good for them in the competitive environment.
“Because we’ve had so many girls up the front of the field, we know that’s the pace of the event and we’ve got that within our squad, so we’re lucky in that regard.
“It’ll be exciting no matter what.’’
The Northcliffe five take some of the best credentials into this weekend’s shortened series. Brown heads into the meet as defending world champion after snaring the crown in the Netherlands over the off-season; three-time series winner Hancock won the Coolangatta Gold in October; Dunn is a rising star who won her first Nutri-Grain round last season; McKenzie is the form craft paddler in the field; and veteran Smith was outstanding in the recent Summer of Surf series and cannot be counted out.
“We do have a bit of a camaraderie this season, we are banding around each other and the girls are getting on really well and all of them raced at worlds this past season, I think that brought them together a lot more,’’ Flood said.
“They all know each other really well, having spent so many years together and hours on the beach and at carnivals competing and travelling and I think they’re all coming of age as young women.
“As sportspeople you can’t always win and they’re trying to roll with that the best they can.’’
Flood, understandably, not about to single out favourite.
“The five of them have really unique characteristics about them as athletes,’’ she said.
“Kristyl has the skill, the experience and she’s been in is a the series for so long, she just knows how to race.
“Courtney’s won a couple of series before, she’s won everything and she’s got that killer swim leg that’s a weapon.
“Dani Mac, the flying Kiwi, she’s got the board and the ski leg and is coming along with the swim and I think she’s really stepped up.
“Then you’ve got Maddy Dunn, who’s won a round, has been in the series since she was 17 and is 21 now and has turned the corner, I think, and is training through the roof.
“And Harriet Brown, straight off the world win, she’s a flyer, races so well. She really steps up when she races.”