Feeling fine for title tilt
COURTNEY Hancock is ready for a strong hitout at the state surf lifesaving championships this weekend as she chases a third Queensland ironwoman crown.
Hancock charged into peak form in the back end of the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series after starting the season slowly off the back of a third Coolangatta Gold title.
And she was straight back into training for the state and Australian titles, in an attempt to hold her form through to the end of the domestic season.
“It’d be really nice to have a good weekend, obviously Northcliffe want to go well in the pointscore, but for myself, I feel like I’m in a really good place,” Hancock said.
“I feel like I’m definitely in a better place than I was this time last year.
“I just feel like I probably got into training a bit quicker than I did last year. I felt I recovered really well after Nutri Grain and I really had my eyes then set on Aussies, so I quickly got back into it.”
Hancock finished equal fourth in the series, a strong result after a slow start to the season off the back of the gruelling Gold.
“It took until (the penultimate round at) Surfers Paradise until I was there where I wanted to be,” Hancock said.
“(At the last round in) Cronulla I was in really good form as well, I felt really relaxed and I had a lot of energy, so I didn’t really want to lose that form I’d worked towards for so long.”
Hancock faces a tough field on the Sunshine Coast this weekend with Nutri-Grain champion, Kurrawa’s Brielle Cooper, among the form athletes.
“(Cooper) has done absolutely incredible,” Hancock said of the teen champ.
“She should be so proud of herself.
“It’s amazing what she did and I think one real positive that everyone can learn from Brielle is … she was very relaxed and seems like a very relaxed athlete and being so young, that’s a big positive to have.”
The state titles begin with the masters events today.