Coombes heads up Northcliffe charge
GOLD Coast giants Northcliffe have shared the honours with Manly and Maroochydore on the second day of the Inter-Club Youth Ocean World Lifesaving Championships in Adelaide.
Australian team youth cocaptains Mitch Coombes (Northcliffe) and Naomi Scott (Manly) were in fine form at Glenelg yesterday.
Coombes won the youth single ski from Avoca pair Bailey Johns and Harry Armstrong while emerging ironwoman Scott won the surf race-ski race double and was second to Redhead’s pocket rocket Nicola Owens in the board final.
It was Coombes who also led his Northcliffe teammates Jordan Sergis, Miller McQuitty-Brown and Riley Clout to victory in the oceanman relay.
The Gold Coast club was also victorious in the oceanwoman relay with Megan Banner, Grace Gurr, Tahlia Duffy and Olivia Corrin.
Johns turned his silver into gold when he upset Coombes in the board race with Kaan Karadag (Kurrawa) third.
Maroochydore’s open water star Hayden Cotter also survived the bitterly cold conditions to win his second title of the championships beating Australian national youth team oceanman champion Ky Kinsela (Currumbin) and Connor Botha (Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa) in the surf race.
On the second day of the open pool rescue events it was the notable Italian club Insport Rane Rosse with a total domination, winning gold in all six events.
Northcliffe and the Currumbin Vikings chased minor medals and valuable points in both A and B finals.
It was Italy’s star Francesco Ippolito who out-touched the Vikings’ national teams champion and world record holder Matt Davis by less than a quarter of a second in a thrilling 100m rescue medley.
The Vikings also showed their depth in the 50m manikin tow with fins with Prue Davies, Rachel Eddy and Kiwi import Maddison Kidd finishing second, third and fourth respectively.
Today Australia will debut in the inaugural national teams IRB world championship.
The Australian team will be led by Gold Coast-based Hall of Famer and wellknown surf lifesaving photographer Kate Czerny.