Leech pumped at Louis claims
INAUGURAL Coolangatta Gold champion Guy Leech is backing Kendrick Louis to launch an audacious bid for the endurance title in his first attempt at the gruelling race.
Leech, who won the first two Coolangatta Gold events, has been advising Louis ahead of his first assault on the famous race and believes he can take on a crack field including three-time champion Ali Day.
Louis won Leech’s threehour endurance event on the Northern Beaches last year in a performance that convinced the ironman legend the 26-year-old has the endurance ability to win the iconic Gold.
While he has the training background and pure ability to take on the race, Leech said Louis’ most important trait was his willingness to attack the event, even at his first attempt.
“He won’t talk himself up but knowing what his frame of mind’s like, he’ll certainly be in there and hot and his four disciplines are good enough to take anyone on in the field,’’ Leech said.
“It’s just going to come down to whether experience is something he might have needed going into the race and whether that’s a telling point – and we’ll only know afterwards.
“He’s got a quiet confidence about him that’s very healthy and I don’t think mentally he’ll be at a disadvantage before the race.
“He’s one of those guys who will be happy to fight and put his best foot forward and not be afraid to try to win the race.’’
Louis said to be in contention he would have to stay focused on maintaining an aggressive attitude.
“I have to stay focused on speed,’’ he said.
“The ski leg is over 23km, while the entire course is 42km.
“You can’t win it on the ski but you can definitely lose it.’’
Day is a deserved favourite for tomorrow’s event but Louis’ performance in Leech’s endurance event convinced the Gold legend the young gun is a genuine contender.
“Ali Day’s the favourite and he’s done enough in the past to deserve that title,’’ Leech said.
“But I’ve got my own endurance ironman race and Kendrick won and beat Nathan Smith and Jeremy Cotter, who got second and third in the Gold, and he beat them convincingly.
“So there’s no doubt that he’s an endurance athlete, there’s no doubt that he doesn’t hold a weakness across those four disciplines.’’