Medal haul for Kiwi surf lifesavers

New Zealand’s star beach sprinters added some sparkle to an otherwise sombre weekend at the Australian surf lifesaving championships on the Gold Coast.

With water events cancelled following the drowning on Friday of 19-year-old New South Wales ironman Saxon Bird, all attention was focused on the sand.

Kiwi flyers Paul Cracroft-Wilson, Morgan Foster and Chelsea Maples scooped triple gold in the beach relays, with Cracroft-Wilson and Foster helping their Australian club Kurrawa to a third consecutive open men’s title.

Maples anchored the final leg as the Kurrawa women’s team also scooped gold in their race, backing up from her second-placing in the open women’s beach sprint.

Cracroft-Wilson then snared silver in the last event on the programme, finishing agonisingly close to Northcliffe champion Simon Harris, who secured a record-breaking eighth open men’s beach flags title.

“We’ve had this rivalry for seven years now and he’s the best – it’s as simple as that,” Cracroft-Wilson said, after finishing ahead of beach sprint champion Tom Nolan. “He lived up to the occasion and proved how amazingly consistent he is.”

The Taranaki sprinter was the last man to beat Harris for the Australian title in 2007 but he couldn’t manage the 35-year-old’s fiery start.

Harris announced his retirement from the Australian titles after his win, although the pair may meet again in October’s world championships in Egypt, with Cracroft-Wilson picked in the New Zealand squad last week.

“I’d love to line up against him again at worlds if he comes over – we’re probably the two best in the world at the moment and it would be a great stage to meet him again.”

Ironically, it’s Cracroft-Wilson’s second consecutive runner-up finish – he was upset by Fitzroy rookie Steve Harris for the New Zealand title a week ago.

Foster, 34, was an early casualty in the men’s competition, while a stumble also cost Maples a place in the women’s flags final.

The other Kiwi medal today was from Mount Maunganui’s Jamie Banhidi, who picked up silver behind Benjamin Mispelhorn, representing host-club Kurrawa.

Banhidi has made great strides from last year, when he was knocked out in the Australian titles in the under-17 division before the quarterfinals.

Gisborne’s Toby Harris (Wainui) was the only other New Zealand finalist today, just finishing out of the medals in fourth in the under-17 final.

Midway’s Mike Janes also picked up a bronze on the opening day in the 2km beach run.

Australian authorities, meanwhile, have promised a full investigation into Bird’s death, which was the first at the national championships since a young surf boat rower died – also at Kurrawa Beach – in 1996.

Bird drowned after being hit in the head with a ski in heavy surf kicked up by Tropical Cyclone Ului.