WORLD CHAMP A NERVOUS WRECK AS BOYS TRIUMPH
WORLD champion canoeist Jordan Wood has braved many treacherous conditions on the water but says watching his young prodigies from the sands was a nerve-racking experience.
Not that he needed to have worried because his Tugun under17s boys prevailed in the ski relay at the Surf Life Saving Queensland State Championships in Mooloolaba.
Wood called time on his professional career at the end of the Tokyo Olympics, taking into retirement a World Championships gold medal in the K-4 1000m in 2017.
Since then the Gold Coast product has made a return to Tugun and coached Jake French, Ryan Muggeridge and Ziah Pesker to a remarkable win on Saturday.
“I was so stoked,” Wood said. “They have been training really hard all season on the ski and putting some really good sessions in. I was so nervous for them before the race just because I knew all the hard work they had put in.
“To come away with the win was unreal but I was very nervous for them heading into the race.”
Burleigh Heads product Jasmine Rayward continued a great weekend for the Glitter Strip’s rising stars by winning the girls’ under-17 board, swim, ski and ironwoman events.
A member of the Australian youth team, Rayward capped off a sensational week for her family after wins from her younger sisters Bianca and Elke in their junior iron finals last weekend. In the seniors, Northcliffe duo Emily Doyle and Zach Morris won their first Queensland State Championships Ironperson titles on Sunday. Doyle beat clubmate Georgia Miller and Maroochydore’s Tiarnee Massie finished third.
“I’m so proud of that race,” Doyle said. “I moved up to the Gold Coast four or five months ago and I was hoping my results would improve.
“I didn’t really think about the process that comes with a hard training block. I had some good races leading into this but no podiums or top-five results.
“I knew today was one of my last opportunities for the season to put it all out there and I managed to pull together a really great race.”
Morris won a thrilling sprint to the finish to claim his maiden state championship. He edged out fellow Northcliffe young gun Auden Parish and Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park.
“When we all pulled over that wave, I knew it was going to be a sprint finish and I’m lucky my long legs got up,” Morris said.
“In this surf, wading is crucial and I’m so lucky I’ve got long legs.”