Moodie, Cox star as NZ surf team grabs third

Ironman champion Daniel Moodie picked up one of the most important wins of his career as his New Zealand surf lifesaving team staged a strong comeback on the last day of the World Games in Taiwan.
Moodie, 21, beat the cream of Australia's team to win the board race in 1m surf at Taiwan's Sizihwan Bay, heading home Queensland stars Hugh Dougherty and Shannon Eckstein.

Moodie also finished fourth in the ironman race, while his board race victory was emulated by his Hawke's Bay teammate Nikki Cox in the women's race as New Zealand clawed back two places to finish third in the overall standings.

“Shannon Eckstein is the world ironman champion so any victory over him is a pretty satisfying achievement,” Moodie, who has based himself in Australia for the last year, said. “I was a little bit disappointed with my ironman race but I was stoked the team showed their capabilities on the beach today.”
Cox headed home another Australian Naomi Flood, while her teenaged Kiwi teammate Madison Boon finished third in the board race and an impressive fourth – a spot behind Cox - in the ironwoman.

Cox, from Napier’s Westshore club, backed up her win in the board race at last year’s world championships.
“This win means a lot to me because it reinforces the fact I can still live and train in New Zealand and still be able to win on the international stage,” she said.

New Zealand were fifth heading into the final day after two days in the pool, but stormed past China and Germany to finish on 485 points, 36 behind second-placed Italy, while world champions Australia cleared out to finish on 634.

Other New Zealand highlights included Ayla Dunlop-Barrett’s bronze medal in the surf race, her New Plymouth Old Boys teammate Glenn Anderson finishing second in the men’s surf race and the men’s and women’s board rescue and men’s tube rescue teams all finishing second.

New Zealand coach Scott Bartlett admitted the hunt for the overall title was always going to be a challenge with such a young 12-strong team, and the influence of the Italian and Chinese pool swimmers proved crucial.

“There has been a massive step up in the pool-swimming standard since last year’s world championships and whether that’s all because of the new high-tech swimsuits is a question we need to address,” Bartlett said. “There is some talk of the Jaked suits worn here being banned by next year’s worlds but even if they are, we need to develop our own pool programme to a higher level anyway.”

The New Zealand team heads home tomorrow after the 16-day World Games - held every four years for non-Olympic sports - concludes with an elaborate closing ceremony in Taiwan today.

Results from the beach events on the third and final day of the surf lifesaving competition at the World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan today:

Women:
Surf race: Kristyl Smith (Aust) 1, Naomi Flood (Aust) 2, Ayla Dunlop-Barrett (NZ) 3, Eloise van Gysen (Sth Africa) 4, Jie-qiao Yang (China) 5, Jess Parr (NZ) 6.
Board race: Nikki Cox (NZ) 1, Naomi Flood (Aust) 2, Madison Boon (NZ) 3, Terri Sullivan (Aust) 4, Kristyl Smith (Aust) 5, Kendall Loots (Sth Africa) 6.
Tube rescue: South Africa 1, Australia 2, Germany 3, Italy 4, France 5, New Zealand (Madison Boon, Ayla Dunlop-Barrett, Georgia Hind, Samantha Lee, Jess Parr) 6.
Board rescue: Australia 1, New Zealand (Madison Boon, Ayla Dunlop-Barrett, Georgia Hind, Samantha Lee, Jess Parr) 2, Germany 3, Italy 4, South Africa 5, France 6.
Oceanwoman: Naomi Flood (Aust) 1, Kristyl Smith (Aust) 2, Nikki Cox (NZ) 3, Madison Boon (NZ) 4, Terri Sullivan (Aust) 5, Kendall Loots (Sth Africa) 6.

Men:
Surf race: Chris Allum (Aust) 1, Glenn Anderson (NZ) 2, Federico Pinotti (Italy) 3, Shannon Eckstein (Aust) 4, Mike Janes (NZ) 5, Daniel Moodie (NZ) 6.
Board race: Daniel Moodie (NZ) 1, Hugh Dougherty (Aust) 2, Shannon Eckstein (Aust) 3, Jonathan Despergers (France) 4, Chris Allum (Aust) 5, Matt Sutton (NZ) 6.
Tube rescue: Australia 1, New Zealand (Glenn Anderson, John Gatfield, Mike Janes, Steve Kent, Daniel Moodie) 2, South Africa 3, Germany 4, France 5, Italy 6.
Board rescue: Australia 1, New Zealand (Glenn Anderson, John Gatfield, Mike Janes, Steve Kent, Daniel Moodie) 2, France 3, Italy 4, South Africa 5, Chinese Taipei 6.
Oceanman: Shannon Eckstein (Aust) 1, Hugh Dougherty (Aust) 2, Ryan Brennan (Sth Africa) 3, Daniel Moodie (NZ) 4, Chris Allum (Aust) 5, Glenn Anderson (NZ) 6.

Final points: Australia 634, Italy 521, New Zealand 485, China 420, Germany 359, South Africa 334, France 288, Taiwan 90.