Rival is driving Aussies
AUSTRALIA’S bid to wrest lifesaving’s world teams championship from New Zealand is in the hands of an unlikely source – a Kiwi.
Kurt Wilson, who cut his lifesaving teeth in Papamoa on New Zealand’s North Island, has seen the Black Fins claim the past three lifesaving world championships in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
Now, however, his fins are squarely on green and gold feet as the Aussie team today chase glory at Adelaide’s Glenelg Beach and in the pool at the South Australian Aquatic and Leisure Centre.
Wilson was appointed as the surf sports director at Currumbin Beach Vikings four years ago before being appointed as the Australian head coach at the start of 2017.
“I believe Australia is the best country in the world in lifesaving surf sports and to be at the helm of that is a pretty big thing,” he said.
“Taking on the head coach role was always on my mind and when the opening came up I said ‘absolutely.’
“And I can honestly say in the two-year timeframe I’m really proud of the team we have put together.”
Wilson knows he has the arsenal to match it with the world’s best in the pool, starting with Matt Davis – a kid from Bundaberg who has become one of the world’s best lifesaving athletes.
“To go to his national championships and take nine gold medals from nine events is pretty phenomenal and setting five Australian records is pretty amazing,” Wilson said.
“He is the only guy who is really giving it to the German guys in the carry events in the 50m carry and the 100m medley (which he holds the world record in) and it’s pretty exciting for an Australasian athlete to be mixing it in that space.
“Chelsea Gillett is a class act, the 200m obstacles and the rescue medley is looking very exciting from that perspective and Prue Davies (Australian Open surf race champion) is similar to Matt.”
The Aussies also showed their talents in the surf at the international challenge in the taking the cleansweep of the three Tests and winning the Trans-Tasman Tri-Nations.
This is where reigning ironman stars Matt Bevilacqua and Kendrick Louis, and ironwoman and Australian team captain Harriett Brown and Coolangatta Gold champion and two-time Australian open surf race winner Georgia Miller come into their own.