Lifesaving World Championships – Day 4: Former Ironwomen go head-to-head in Masters
The Lifesaving World Championships moved to Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast for Day 4 of the Masters competition with Aussies dominating the ocean events.
In the women’s 30 – 34 events celebrated Gold Coast [9-time] Ironwoman and record-breaking ocean paddler, Bonnie Palmer (nee Hancock), Mermaid Beach SLSC, went toe to toe with fellow former Ironwoman Miranda Goodwin (nee Davies), Kurrawa SLSC, with Palmer taking out the Ski Race and Oceanwoman events before Goodwin reversed the order in the Surf Race and won the Board Race (with Palmer third).
“It’s so exciting to be here at Kurrawa Beach for the World Lifesaving Titles, there is an amazing atmosphere. I last raced at Worlds back in 2012 in Opens, so 12 years later to come back here as a Master it was such an incredible experience and I know in the women’s area and certainly in the men’s we all got around each other, so it was amazing camaraderie,” Bonnie said.
“Miranda Davies and I, she’s now Miranda Goodwin, she was Davies when we used to race back in the day in the NutriGrain Series, went head-to-head today and it was so much fun. There was a big strong northerly particularly in the afternoon so we really had to chase the runs coming in so I was trying to use that experience I had as an Ironwoman and bring it into the racing today. I think we got two each, Miranda got the Swim and the Board golds, and I got the Oceanwoman [international name for Ironwoman event] and Ski.”
“I am a ski paddler now, I can’t remember the last time I did an Ironwoman event so the Oceanwoman win was a told surprise, but I’ve been training with Ky Hurst and Andrew Merfat at Mermaid, I’ve jumped in with the kids and just done a whole heap of different sessions leading into this. I thought I’d enter everything and it was super fun getting out there.”
“Tomorrow is the team event day which is the best day. We will be doing a bunch of races and the ones I am not in I’ll be cheering everyone on. It will be such a good vibe down here again, I’m sure.”
In the men’s 30-34 Oceanman and 35-39 Oceanwoman events there were more all Aussie podiums with Alex Tibbits from Veteran Sports Australia (Invictus) taking out the gold ahead of Christopher Mensforth (Terrigal SLSC) and Guy Kinsey (Burleigh Heads SLSC) in the men’s event and Yukiko Nambu (Burleigh Heads SLSC) securing gold ahead of Tenille Devine (Tallebudgera Surf Club) and Haruka Nakamura (Kurrawa SLSC) in the women.
Greg Tobin from Australian club Swansea Belmont SLSC took home the World Champion title in the Men’s 35-39 ski race and said conditions could not be better for the international surf community.
“It is very mild for us out there so it is a lot fairer for the international competitors, you couldn’t ask for any better conditions. There is a lot of wind swell coming across and I have raced in Europe in ocean racing in the longer distance format and apart from a little swell on the bank here it is very similar to what they would be facing in Europe apart from your Mediterranean countries where it is more like a lake.”
For full results please visit: https://liveheats.com/ils
For images and raw footage of Bonnie Palmer (nee Hancock) interview please click here.
