Couple beats odds to make history

WHEN Matt Bevilacqua woke yesterday to chilly conditions, a howling southerly and whitewater he turned to partner Brielle Cooper and joked they should spend the day in bed.

Instead they spent it writing surf history at North Cronulla as the first couple to win the Nutri- Grain ironman and ironwoman series.

Cooper, at just 18, became the youngest winner of a professional ironwoman series after a day of drama which saw her knocked out in the first of three races in wild, messy surf.

Convinced her tilt for the crown was over, Cooper had to be convinced by officials she had actually won the series title on a countback when rival Harriet Brown was knocked out in the second race of the day.

“It really is unbelievable. I really didn’t expect this at all,” said Cooper.

“I didn’t do very well and I really just wanted to prove this season I wasn’t just a name on a pair of togs.”

Instead, Cooper became the first teenager to win a professional series crown despite not even qualifying for the first round of the six- event series at Queenscliff back in October.

Waiting to congratulate her was Bevilacqua, 25, who also overcame the odds to win his first professional men’s title in five years of trying.

The Tasmanian lifesaver, now based on the Gold Coast Kurrawa with Cooper, had to beat rival and training partner Ali Day to claim his maiden crown.

“I had dreams of winning this series and to do it with Brielle is amazing,” Bevilacqua said.