Day wins record seventh Gold title

THE KING has reclaimed his crown.

Ali Day, 31, has cemented his status as the Coolangatta Gold’s undisputed Greatest of All Time by romping to his seventh title on Sunday.

The Surfers Paradise ironman blitzed the field to claim his record seventh Gold in comfortable fashion ahead of Cory Taylor and 2019 champion Matt Bevilacqua.

He became the first man to win the Nutri-Grain Ironman Series, Aussies Ironman title and Coolangatta Gold in the same year, completing a stunning injury comeback that threatened to end his career.

A group of five hit the beach after the opening ski leg, and Bevilacqua and Day led them into the water.

But by the end of the swim it was Day’s race to lose, and he wasn’t going to let that happen.

The Surfers Paradise Ironman, who now has two more Coolangatta Gold titles than any other athlete in the great race’s history, broke away in the swim and was never sighted from there.

Day hit the beach for the final run leg more than six minutes clear of the chasing pack and from there he could soak it all in.

So dominant was Day’s victory he was able to soak up the home stretch with his son Danny in his arms.

“I had a plan in my head,” Day said. “You never like to think if you are going to win what you will do and what your victory claim will be.

“But in the back of my mind there were a couple of moments there when I thought if I got the chance I was going to grab him.”

An emotional Day paid tribute to his wife Kel, son Danny and his family watching from the other side of the Queensland-NSW border.

“My parents are watching over the border at the Mantra. It makes me a bit emotional saying that because I have such a great team of people around me,” Day said as he fought back tears.

“I have my own family now with Kel and Danny. I have a love heart on my board and one on my ski with both their names on it.

“(The win) is for them. I have an amazing support team around me.”

Day missed the 2019 Gold to recover from breaking both his wrists during a promotional shoot that went wrong.

He watched from Mermaid Beach that year as Bevilacqua went on to win the Gold, labelling it “one of the worst days of my life”.

Almost three years later, the King of Coolangatta was back to reclaim what was his.

“There were times you didn’t think you would get back here or to this level (again) because it’s such a gruelling race,” Day said of his journey.

“Not that I am old at all but I’m 31 and three years out (is a long time).”