Papamoa wins World Interclub title

Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club has put the Bay of Plenty on the world map, finishing off the Lifesaving World Championships in France overnight in much the same way as they started off.

After claiming Top Club in the World Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) competition at the beginning of the two week event, they also finished top of the table in the Youth division of the World Interclub Championships.

The Bay of Plenty Club claimed 15 medals across the five days of the Youth competition, eight of them gold.

Some of the stand out performances came from New Zealand representative athletes who helped the New Zealand Youth Team claim silver in the National Team's competition only days before.

Andrew Trembath had a strong form across the pool events claiming all three of the team's individual gold medals; one in the Men's 200m Obstacle Swim, one in the Men's 100m Rescue Medley and one in the Men's 100m Manikin Carry with Fins.

Fellow NZ Youth Team member Ben Johnston claimed two individual silver in the pool and a silver and bronze on the beach.

The boys were also incredibly strong across the team events. Trembath and Johnston took gold in the Men's Board Rescue and, combined with Mason Bryant and Jakes Hales, also took gold in the Oceanman Relay. Trembath, Hales, Bryant and Scott Miller added to the tally with gold in the Men's Tube Rescue.

In the pool, Trembath and Johnston claimed gold with Bryant and Hales in the Men's 4x50m Obstacle Relay and with Hales and Miller in the Men's 4x50m Rescue Medley Relay.

But the spotlight was also on Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service's Olivia Eaton who claimed gold in the Women's Beach Sprint on the first day of competition, backing that up on day two with silver in the Women's Beach Flags.

Combined with her Open teammates Arna Wright, Kendall Elliott and Holly Moczydlowski, Eaton then took another silver in the Women's Beach Sprint Relay, making a total of six medals for the 16 year-old across the National Teams and Interclub competitions.

In the open division, Kiwi athletes took away a total of seven medals, one gold, two silver and four bronze.

On Day One, Midway's Chris Dawson (representing BMD Northcliffe) claimed the only medal in the pool events; a silver in the Men's 200m Obstacles.

Over on the beach, World Beach Flags Champion and Mairangi Bay club member Chanel Hickman claimed gold for her Australian club the Currumbin Beach Vikings while fellow home clubbie Nick Malcolm took silver with his Surfers Paradise team mate Leon Zagel in the Men's Board Rescue.

Papamoa's Kodi Harman claimed a bronze in the Men's Beach Sprint on the third day of competition while Omanu's Max Beattie claimed bronze for BMD Northcliffe in the Men's Board Race.

On the final day of competition, Riversdale's Murdoch Finch claimed a bronze medal in the Beach Flags for his Wairarapa club and Midway's Cory Taylor took the final bronze in the Oceanman for BMD Northcliffe.

Across the World Interclub competition, Surf Life Saving New Zealand was represented by club members from Midway, Riversdale Beach, Mairangi Bay, Papamoa, Omanu Beach, Red Beach and Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service who joined around 1,200 other athletes across five days of competition.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand Sport Manager Mike Lord says all of the athletes put in a huge amount of effort across the pool and beach events with many of them making finals events.

"It's a huge deal to make a final on the world stage, let along come away with medals or top club overall. All of our athletes should be incredibly proud of themselves, as we are all extremely proud of them," he says.

Interclub results:

Youth:
Gold: Olivia Eaton (Mount Maunganui), Women's Beach Sprint
Gold: Mason Bryant, Scott Miller, Jake Hales, Andrew Trembath (Papamoa), Men's Tube Rescue
Gold: Andrew Trembath and Ben Johnston (Papamoa), Men's Board Rescue
Gold: Ben Johnston, Andrew Trembath, Mason Bryant and Jake Hales (Papamoa), Oceanman Relay
Gold: Andrew Trembath (Papamoa), Men's 200m Obstacle Swim
Gold: Andrew Trembath, Ben Johnston, Mason Bryant & Jake Hales (Papamoa), Men's 4x50m Obstacle Relay
Gold: Andrew Trembath (Papamoa), Men's 100m Rescue Medley
Gold: Ben Johnston, Jake Hales, Scott Miller, Andrew Trembath (Papamoa), Men's 4x50m Rescue Medley Relay
Gold: Andrew Trembath (Papamoa), Men's 100m Manikin Carry with Fins
Silver: Mason Bryant (Papamoa) Men's 2km Beach Run
Silver: Ben Johnston (Papamoa) Men's Board Race
Silver: Ben Cochrane (Omanu) Men's Ski Race
Silver: Ben Johnston, Jake Hales, Andrew Trembath, Scott Miller (Papamoa), Men's Sprint Relay
Silver: Olivia Eaton (Mount Maunganui), Women's Beach Flags
Silver: Ben Johnston (Papamoa Surf Life Saving Club), Men's 100 Rescue Medley
Silver: Jake Hales (Papamoa), Men's 100m Manikin Carry with Fins
Silver: Ben Johnston (Papamoa), Men's 50m Manikin Carry
Bronze: Ben Johnston (Papamoa), Oceanman

Open:
Gold: Chanel Hickman (Mairangi Bay), Women's Beach Flags
Silver: Chris Dawson (Midway), Men's 200m Obstacles
Silver Nick Malcolm (Mairangi Bay), Men's Board Rescue
Silver: Olivia Eaton, Arna Wright, Kendall Elliott and Holly Moczydlowski (Mount Maunganui) Women's Beach Sprint Relay
Bronze: Kodi Harman (Papamoa), Men's Beach Sprint
Bronze: Max Beattie (Omanu), Men's Board Race
Bronze: Cory Taylor (Midway), Oceanman
Bronze: Murdoch Finch (Riversdale), Men's Beach Flags

Mount Maunganui's Olivia Eaton wins gold in the Youth women's Beach Sprint. Photo: Barbara Newton

For more information please contact: 

Lisa Honeybone, Media & Communications Specialist, SLSNZ
Phone 09 303 9335 or 0276 488 823
Email lisa.honeybone@surflifesaving.org.nz