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SURF LIFESAVING

Kiwi's Aussie wary of former lifesaving countrymen

Surf Life Saving New Zealand

Friday 25 July 2008, 10:11AM

By Surf Life Saving New Zealand

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Scott Bartlett, NZ assistant coach
Scott Bartlett, NZ assistant coach Credit: Surf Life Saving New Zealand
Wellington sprinter Ben Willis (left) and Bay of Plenty's Chelsea Maples will be key figures on the beach for the New Zealand surf lifesaving team in Germany.
Wellington sprinter Ben Willis (left) and Bay of Plenty's Chelsea Maples will be key figures on the beach for the New Zealand surf lifesaving team in Germany. Credit: Surf Life Saving New Zealand
Ben Willis, NZ sprinter
Ben Willis, NZ sprinter Credit: Surf Life Saving New Zealand

If anyone understands the mentality of a cornered Australian lifeguard, it's Scott Bartlett.

That's why the New Zealand surf lifesaving assistant coach is sweating over his team's big lead heading into the last two days of the world championships in Germany.

A dazzling display in the pool this week has seen the Kiwi team stretch out to a 60-point lead over their trans-Tasman rivals but Bartlett, a former Australian representative, knows they'll need all their wits about them in the beach events at the Baltic Sea resort of Warnemuende.

"Aussie will be very tough on the beach and even though we've gone almost exactly to plan in the pool so far, most of our strategies from here are based around containing and holding them," Bartlett said. "There are some crucial events tomorrow but Kevin Morrison and Nikki Cox can really set the scene for us with strong performances in the ski, which is the first event up."

What has pleased the Manly-raised swim specialist, who won world championship bronze in 1996, has been the way his team has not backed down. His most satisfying result of the last three days was the final event in the pool, the SERC (simulated emergency response competition) which Australia have traditionally dominated.

"They were expecting to pull a huge chunk of points back on us in the SERC and they won it, but then we came home in second - our best ever finish - so it only ended up costing us two points. I'd say they're panicking and they are worried and they're going to be under a huge amount of pressure from here on in."

Ironically Bartlett is married to former New Zealand representative Jackie Read, who was in the only Kiwi team to win the world championships in 1998. They are now settled in Tauranga with two children.

New Zealand takes a slim lead over Italy into the beach events, although Bartlett believes the European nations will fade over the next two days and South Africa may throw up some competitive athletes after today's rest day.

New Zealand's strength on the beach is in their sprinters - Wellington's Ben Willis and Tauranga's Chelsea Maples are both warm favourites - and in the team relays.

Top Kiwi pool performer Julia Toomey, who finished with a stirring gold medal in the 100m rescue medley yesterday, said the team's approach had been a simple one and they weren't going to change that on the beach.

"We're treating each day as a separate competition - we won today, but have still got two really tough days ahead of us," Toomey said.

The 23-year-old also suspects Australia's week of surprises may not be over yet.

"Australia may have underestimated our strength on the beach though - they think we've turned up with a stacked pool team but we've got strength and power on the beach and we'll be aiming to win our specialist events."