THIS IS FOR YOU, DEAN
Ali Day paid tribute to late ironman Dean Mercer as he claimed a recordequalling fifth Coolangatta Gold title yesterday. The Gold Coast local kissed the black wrist band bearing the words “Doing it for Dean” that all competitors wore, before pointing to the sky as he crossed the line.
down, count your steps, anything to churn through the soft sand and get to the finish line.
Courtney Hancock may have been in a world of pain as she entered the finishing chute of surf lifesaving’s most gruelling race but winning a third Coolangatta title made it all worthwhile.
Hancock joined Hayley Bateup, Alicia Marriott and Liz Pluimers as the only woman to have three Gold titles when she won the 41.8km event yesterday, finishing 26 seconds ahead of fast-finishing Allie Britton, who absolutely blitzed the run leg.
Northcliffe’s Hancock led virtually from start to finish, locked in a race with former Australian swimming representative Georgia Miller until the run leg before holding off Britton to register what she rates as her toughest Gold victory.
“I’ve done that race many times against the best and that one was the toughest,” Hancock said.
“You just didn’t know what to expect. There were so many good girls in there, so many people doing it for the first time. I had no idea how much work everyone had done.
“It was always going to be tactical. It was flat and it was really close and I knew it was going to be.
“It was a completely different race from last year.”
Hancock won last year’s Gold to register her first major win in almost two years.
The victory started a renaissance for the Northcliffe ironwoman, who fell just short of snaring a fourth Nutri-Grain series title last summer.
But she faced a massive challenge yesterday, having to hold off one of the deepest women’s Gold fields in history, including arguably the best ski and board paddlers, swimmers and runners in the sport.
“You had the best girls in the sport there today and I think that was really, really cool as well for me to be able to race everyone,” Hancock said.
“Being a smaller field last year didn’t take away from it at all, we still had amazing girls but you had everyone there (this year), pretty much who’s in Nutri-Grain (ironwoman series) and everyone gave it a crack. And the pace was on from the word go, we never put the brakes on, not once.
“I did not rest for one moment. I was like, wow, I’m sprinting the Gold.”
Hancock won from North Burleigh’s Britton and Northcliffe teammate Dani McKenzie but it was Miller that provided the biggest challenge for the opening 35km before cramping badly in the run and finishing fourth.
“Georgia Miller was with me right up until the run and that was her first time doing it and she should be really proud of herself, she did an exceptional race,” Hancock said.
“There was not one moment I thought I had it until 20m to the end here.”