Loss makes perfect Day

HE was heartbroken at the time but Ali Day says finishing runner-up in the Nutri-Grain Ironman Series for a fourth time last season taught him more than a win ever could.

Day was crushed last summer when he lost the series to great mate Matt Bevilacqua by just four points.

His third place in the final round at North Cronulla, just behind second-placed Bevilacqua, handed the Tasmanian product a maiden crown.

“It was disappointing obviously at the time but it’s been the best thing for me because it’s shown that you might put everything out there every day ... training hard and doing everything you can to get yourself ready, and sometimes, it just doesn’t fall your way,” he said.

“And I think that was a good lesson for me to learn. Now I’m not scared to put it all on the line and come away with last or runner-up or whatever it may be.

“I think last year, when I put everything on the line, I felt like it was a waste of time and I didn’t get anything out of it.

“But I really did, I got a lot out of it and I guess I’m not scared to lose.”

That lack of fear, coupled with a relentless drive to better himself, has led to the best season of Day’s career.

Since October, he has added a record sixth Coolangatta Gold title, world ironman crown and an Ocean6 ironman race win to his tally to sit top of the Nutri-Grain series rankings heading into Round 4 at Currumbin today.

“It’s been probably the best 12 months of my life resultswise. It is sometimes almost too good to be true,” he said.