Maples grabs silver on emotional surf day

Mount Maunganui beach sprinter Chelsea Maples picked up New Zealand’s second medal of an abbreviated Australian surf lifesaving championships on the Gold Coast today.

Maples, representing host club Kurrawa, finished the open women’s sprint just behind Queenscliff’s Laura Shorter, who broke down afterwards and dedicated the victory to drowned 19-year-old clubmate Saxon Bird.

Bird was hit in the head by a ski during the under-19 ironman heats in big cyclone-fed surf yesterday and the New South Wales 19-year-old’s body was found nearly an hour later.

Organisers immediately suspended all races and today cancelled the remaining water based events at the four-day carnival, mindful of the looming seas kicked up by Tropical Cyclone Ului.

A large number of competitors wore black armbands in tribute to Bird today, while authorities promised a full investigation into the death.

The mass cancellation has just left the beach events on the programme, with Maples’ silver medal adding to the bronze won in the 2km beach run by Midway’s Mike Janes on the first day of competition.

Two other Kiwis reached finals today, with Paekakariki’s Ben Willis finishing seventh in the open men’s sprint and Gisborne’s Toby Harris emulating that placing in the under-17 men’s sprint.

Maples, Willis and Harris will join top contenders Paul Cracroft-Wilson and Morgan Foster in the beach flags competition on the final day tomorrow.