Doyle gives it ‘a crack’

A BADLY sprained ankle may have severely restricted her training but it was not enough to stop Emily Doyle from winning a second Coolangatta Gold title.

Doyle won the open shortcourse event after winning the under-19 division last year, and while she would need to polish her ski skills before tackling the long-course event, few would bet against her after her display on Saturday.

The Sydney surf lifesaver, who trains with the Newport club while completing Year 12 at Davidson High School and working three jobs, said she decided to give the open division “a crack” this season despite her hectic schedule.

“I raced last year and won the under 19s with hardly any training,” Doyle said.

“This year I came back for the opens thinking maybe I can have a real crack with the big girls and it was really good, I surprised myself.” Grace Harris won the under-19 division after tackling the race for the first time last year in a team category with her brother.