Strong start for Kiwis in Nutri-Grain Ironman Series

It was a huge weekend for New Zealand surf lifesaving stars Max Beattie, Cory Taylor and Danielle McKenzie as they took on Rounds One and Two of the prestigious Nutri-Grain Ironman Series.  

Round One on Saturday saw Cory finish in 11th place with Max right behind in 12th in their first ever Nutri-Grain Series.

"I got to live out a childhood dream and it definitely lived up to the hype," Max says.

In the Ironwoman, Danielle finished in 16th place after Round One.

Round Two on Sunday saw her sneak through the first eliminator race; after heading into the last leg in 16th, she had a strong ski paddle to finish in 12th. The second eliminator saw her finish in ninth place in

what was a very close race with most of the girls paddling in a big pack.

After Two Rounds, Dani is now sitting in 13th place. "Can't wait for Newcastle!" she says.

A successful Round Two for Max on Sunday saw him move up the leaderboard to sixth position heading into Round Three. Cory also had a strong day of racing with him now sitting in 13th place.

New Zealand Team Coach Jason Pocock says the athletes raced extremely well and showed a good understanding of their skills. "There were some great decisions and clearly the guys raced with a lot of

heart. They were always right in the mix and they showed more mature athletes what happens when you have clarity of mind," he says.

Rounds Three and Four will take place at Newcastle Beach in New South Wales from November 19-20 and Rounds Five and Six at North Cronulla Beach in New South Wales on January 16-17.

Keep up with the series via their Facebook page on via Twitter.

For more information, please contact:

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