Clifton duo sizzle at national lifesaving championships

Clifton’s teenage duo of Naor Lombard and Samuel Booysen soared and sizzled at the DHL Lifesaving SA National Club Championships at Kings Beach yesterday.

Lombard took the blue-ribbon marque gold in the Male Open Iron and completed the Iron double in winning the U19 race.

Lombard was among Clifton’s inspirational individual performers as the Capebased lifesaving club took overall honours from provincial club rivals Fish Hoek in a thrilling finale, finishing with 589 points to Fish Hoek’s 585.

Clifton’s juniors were tops and Fish Hoek’s seniors ended first but when the divisions were combined, Clifton took the title.

KwaZulu-Natal ’ s Umhlanga Rocks produced a strong overall club performance with 437 points.

Llandudno were also among the strongest clubs, finishing fourth with 282 points.

The seniors and juniors take to the pool at Newton Park on Monday, but over the weekend it was all surf and sand as the likes of Lombard and Booysen delivered on their world champion status.

Both had won world championship golds at the 2022 Lifesaving World Championships and both were among the favourites to dazzle in Gqeberha. Neither disappointed.

Lombard showed all his class in the Iron and Booysen was supreme in the Male Open Beach Sprints and Beach Flags, and the U19 Male Beach Sprints and Beach Flags in winning four individual golds.

Fish Hoek teenager Georgia Singe and Umhlanga’s SashaLee Nordegen Corris were all the talk over the opening two days, as they won gold after gold.

Nordegen Corris, a regular in the South African national team, won the prestigious Iron and Singe owned the surf events in the Female Open and U19.

She was named Female Open athlete of the championships, with Singe the best U17 female athlete.

Umhlanga’s Challenors made it a golden family affair in the Female Open Beach Race and the Female Open Beach sprint.

Rylee-Kai Challenor and Jenna Challenor took first and second place in the Beach Run and Nicolette Challenor won gold in the Beach Sprint.

The Tuks A quartet were popular winners in the Male Open Rescue Tube Rescue, and the Tuks female quartet were not to be outdone, as they combined to win the Female Open Rescue Tube Rescue.

Among the locals, Kings Beach’s Keegan Cooke was among the medals and Summerstrand’s Keira van Heerden won the Female U19 run/swim/run.

Summerstrand’s Christian Davidson enjoyed a successful event and Scottburgh’s 17-yearold Tyne van Achterberg showed his class in taking several golds.

Umhlanga’s Matthew Coetzer and Saskia Hockley were among the stars in the U19 division and Hockley won a dramatic Iron Race against Pirates’ Tannah Smith.