Gold versus Nutri-Grain decision for Hancock

COURTNEY Hancock said she may need to start choosing whether to target the Coolangatta Gold or Nutri-Grain races after her first ironwoman series win in three years.

The three-time series champion won round 5 at Surfers Paradise yesterday, emerging victorious in the new “survival” format to take an emotional win at the beach where she won her first NutriGrain race seven years ago.

Hancock said she was only just starting to rediscover her speed almost four months after she won the Gold.

“I feel exactly how I did last year (when she finished second in a shortened series in February off the back of a Coolangatta Gold win),” she said.

“We had the series coming up in late February and that’s when I started to peak.

“For me, now it’s choosing whether you focus on the series or the Gold.”

The victory lifted Hancock to third in the overall standings but she is unable to catch leaders Harriet Brown and Brielle Cooper, who will fight for the crown in the final round at Cronulla later this month.

That mattered little to Hancock, who used the memory of her first race win at Surfers Paradise to break the tape.

“I was looking back at a few photos coming here from when I was only about 19 or 20, when I won my first one here.

“I thought it’d mean a lot for me to come here, I’ve got a lot of support and if I could pick one to win it was going to be here at Surfers Paradise”.

Brown finished seventh, eliminated after the opening board leg in the final race.

The defending series champion was battling injury after tearing ankle ligaments at Fairhaven last month and while slightly disappointed with her result, was pleased to have made it to the starting line.

She is likely to have to beat Cooper at Cronulla to win the series after the young gun finished second yesterday to set up a chance for a maiden Nutri-Grain crown.

“I’d love to win a series at 18, that would be something I would remember forever,” Cooper said.

“I’m thinking nothing of the pressure.”