Hectic schedule forces Currie to pass Coast to Coast

Anyone getting excited about a potential rematch between reigning Coast to Coast champion Sam Clark and Braden Currie in this year’s event are out of luck.

Three-time winner Currie will not take part in next month’s race across the South Island, leaving Clark the white-hot favourite to win his third consecutive longest day title.

Clark conjured up a remarkable comeback to triumph in last year’s thrilling men’s race, when he flipped what was at one stage a 17 minute deficit into an almost eight minute win over Currie.

A bitterly disappointed Currie indicated immediately after the race he would be back in 2018 to get the taste of defeat out of his mouth, but the Wanaka-based athlete’s hectic schedule doesn’t include the February 10 race.

It starves the event of what would have no doubt been a dingdong battle with Clark from Kumara Beach on the West Coast to New Brighton in Christchurch, but it has opened the door for other athletes.

Australian Alex Hunt, who finished third in 2016, when Currie was also absent, and sixth last year is eyeing a return to the podium.

Whether he can deny Clark from going back-to-back-to-back is a much taller order.

‘‘Sam is a total animal on this course and just so well suited to the race, not to mention he gets himself in pretty incredible shape for it,’’ the 26 year-old Tasmanian said.

‘‘I’d love to be a lot closer to him on the run this year but it still terrifies me how fast he can paddle that river, so hopefully the level is up and we all get pushed down nice and fast.’’

Last year’s third-place getter, Sam Manson, also isn’t competing in this year’s 243km race, although Bobby Dean (fourth in 2017) will be back for another crack.

Despite clocking 12hr 13min 34sec last year, which was more than half an hour faster than his 2016 time, Hunt was disappointed with last year’s effort.

He finished more than an hour behind Clark and Currie and rued a couple of blunders.

‘‘I want a better all-round performance than last year with no mistakes in the first bike, run hard and then hopefully keep it together in the paddle. Realistically, beating Sam is about as hard as it gets, but hopefully I make it a decent race of it and manage to get back on the podium,’’ he said.

‘‘My transitions were pretty average last year, so that’s one improvement I need to make, and I do not want miss the front bunch on the first bike leg, that’s a big one.’’