Day all class in defeat
Brielle Cooper and Matt Bevilacqua, obviously. Young love is enough to put a smile on your face but throw in a couple of national surf lifesaving titles and the pair have every reason to dream of a big future.
Shannon Eckstein (left) didn’t quite enjoy the campaign he would have liked. The champion had a win in Round 4 but could only manage fifth overall in the men’s comp, more than 60 points behind winner Bevilacqua. The mix-up that had Brown named as the women’s champ. Oops.
Harriet Brown has already declared she is supercharged for the next campaign. It’s fair to say Brielle Cooper is going nowhere, while bigger questions remain over the future of some more senior competitors. Twelve months is a long time. A CRESTFALLEN Ali Day says he has proven a point to himself despite a heartbreaking Nutri-Grain Ironman Series loss to great mate Matt Bevilacqua.
Day led the series going into the final round at North Cronulla yesterday and seemed set to claim his second title when he headed into the final leg of the last eliminator race ahead of Bevilacqua.
But a decision to chase a runner after rounding the turn proved the clincher, with Bevilacqua and eventual round winner Max Brooks getting a wave that swept them past Day.
“That might come back to haunt me but as an athlete, you’ve got to take those little risks and there’s no point looking back on it now,” Day said.
“I’ve done everything I could (this season). I’m really proud of the way I showed up for the six rounds, and second in the series isn’t that bad.
“It’s my third runner-up now, so that’s hard, but second’s better than third and so I’m still pretty happy.”
Day revealed heading into the last round he finally felt worthy of winning a title after a surprise win in 2014-15.
He said he proved to himself he could back up from the gruelling Coolangatta Gold – which he won for a recordequalling fifth time this season – to be competitive in the series.
“That was a goal I had at the start of the series and I think I proved that today, that you can do a race like the Coolangatta Gold and you can turn around pretty quickly,” he said.
And while he didn’t win yesterday he praised series winner Bevilacqua.
Day had a quiet word with Surfers Paradise mentor Trevor Hendy after the race, with the ironman great reassuring him he would bounce back.
“He said he was proud of me and that these were the moments that would shape me as an athlete,” Day said.
“I was upset at Surfers (after finishing eighth in the penultimate round), I was angry at myself.
“But today I’m not angry, that’s all I could have done.
“As heartbreaking as it it’s not that bad.”
TJ Hendy’s series-opening victory captured much attention. Sure, it was a terrific win in its own right, but the fact the young Surfers Paradise clubbie (right) carries that name added to the moment. Old man Trevor was suitably proud of his young charge. Jordan Mercer’s second in Round 4 gets an honourable mention, with many hoping she would snare a win for her late uncle, Dean.
While there was plenty of drama around it, you can’t go past the first couple to win a series together. Yep, Cooper and Bevilacqua can add another title to their collection. is,