Poole turns hunted
IRONMAN champion Matt Poole heads into the NutriGrain series “a hunted man” but says he is excited at the challenge of defending his breakthrough series title.
Poole will head into Sunday’s opening round at Sydney’s Queenscliff Beach short of full fitness after battling two stress fractures in his foot as well as a bout of the flu.
But the Kurrawa athlete will not give up his title without a fight.
Poole beat ironman legend Shannon Eckstein to the title last summer in an abbreviated three-day carnival.
But with the ironman and ironwoman competition now coming under the Ocean6 banner, the series is back to six full rounds and Poole is determined to take the challenge up to Eckstein again.
“Over the years, I’ve notoriously built up a really, really amazing rivalry with Shannon Eckstein,” Poole said.
“And I have such a respect for so how freakishly talented he is, that I love beating him more than anything in the world because I know how much of a freak he is.”
Poole and Eckstein have a history of spirited races, including a sprint finish at Newcastle in 2014, where Eckstein was left sprawling on the sand after the pair clashed in a scramble to the line.
“I don’t think people really grasped or understood just how much of a climactic finish that was for the two of us, given our history, for me and Shannon to go into a format on the final day of the series,” Poole said.
“He’d been through hell on the Friday tearing his toe open and he was still out there hungrier that ever trying to win his 10th title.
“And the one guy he’s had the rivalry with sprints up the beach to beat him by a couple of metres to win his first series after years of trying.
“It was a pretty special moment in the sport and I think a lot of people will remember that for years to come.”
Poole has taken enormous belief from his series win and he hopes it has done the same for others in the sport.
“Winning last year’s series probably instilled a lot of belief in other ironmen that they can take it to him, they can step up to the mark and win races now,” Poole said.
“I know given the right day and time, I can win races at the drop of a hat and there’s a number of other guys that can once they find that belief.
“I think it’s going to be a really interesting year.”
I DON’T THINK PEOPLE REALLY GRASPED OR UNDERSTOOD JUST HOW MUCH OF A CLIMACTIC FINISH THAT WAS FOR THE TWO OF US MATT POOLE