Double Gold For Black Fins

Double Gold For Black Fins

Midway’s Cory Taylor and Waikanae’s Michael Hanna are New Zealand’s latest world champions from the beach in Riccione, Italy.

Taylor has kick started his beach campaign at the world championships with a win in the prestigious Oceanman event (Ironman) beating Australians Kendrick Louis and Ben Carberry to take the gold with New Zealand’s other ironman Max Beattie finishing fourth.

With Kiwi ironman legend and New Zealand beach coach Cory Hutchings on hand Taylor made every post a winner to pick up gold.

“It’s awesome, the last three worlds I’ve got runner up so I’ve only ever got second in the Open so it’s just awesome to go one more and get that world title,” Taylor says.

“It’s been sitting there in my mind and I always wanted to get it. In the conditions and the race that I had with Kendrick, it’s just awesome to get there.”

After a dogged battle at the pool the Black Fins have hit the beach with purpose and the Oceanman final was a great scene setter for the rest of the campaign.

“It was a tough race, conditions at the beach are pretty flat and today the temperature is down too,” New Zealand Surf Lifesaving high performance manager Tanya Hamilton says.

“Cory and Cory obviously know each other incredibly well both being from Gisborne and being incredibly close.

“This isn’t an easy field to beat, both of the Australians are on the top Australian competition circuit with Cory and Max so they certainly weren’t going to make it an easy win.”

And on the beach, Hanna a debutant in the Black Fins for this world championships campaign left the rest of the field scorched behind him.

Hanna beat Australian Sam Zustovich and South Africa’s Ryle De Morny to take gold.

“I definitely came in a bit late to the team but the team has made me feel right at home like I’d been in the team all along and that was probably half of what drove me to get the win today,” he says.

Mairangi Bay’s Danielle McKenzie got the medal haul underway for the Black Fins for the day picking up bronze in the women’s Ocean (ironwoman) event behind Australians Harriet Brown and Naomi Scott, with Midway’s Liv Corrin in fourth.

Crawford Takes Silver In The Pool

Mairangi Bay’s Zoe Crawford has added another silver to her medal haul at the Surf Lifesaving World Championships in Riccione, Italy.

The Junior Black Fins co-captain put together a superb performance in the 100m manikin tow to secure second place and set a new New Zealand under 19 record in a very strong line up on the first day of racing at the pool.  Crawford qualified third for the final and it was a neck and neck race to the wall to pick up the manikin.  A brilliant clip-in saw Crawford move into second spot which she never gave up as the field raced to the finish.

It was a solid day of performances from the New Zealand team. Talitha McEwan kicked off the finals session with a fifth place finish in the 200m obstacles race, Crawford was first in the B final.  In the men’s event, Gus Shivnan was fourth in the final with Jack Keepa second in the B final.

McEwan, Crawford, Lucy Bartlett and Summer Rolston combined for fourth place in the women’s 4x50m obstacles relay, Shivnan, Keepa, George Wenman and Lachie Falloon were also fourth in the men’s event.

Shivnan and Wenman paired up for the men’s line throw final but were disqualified in the B final.  As an example of how busy the team is at this world championships, Bartlett and Crawford then backed up into the 100m manikin tow with Bartlett finishing sixth in the B final. Similarly, in the men’s equivalent event, Keepa also backed up and was first in the B final.

“It was a tough day’s racing,” New Zealand Surf Lifesaving high performance manager Tanya Hamilton says.

“The quality of performances on show at the pool from the juniors is phenomenal. There are some blazing times being produced across the board. The European teams are really throwing down the gauntlet after the beach events were dominated by the New Zealand, Australian and South African teams.”

The Junior Black Fins have maintained their spot in second on the overall ladder behind Australia after the first day in the pool.  Day two in the pool sees the team racing the 50m manikin carry, manikin relays, the 200m super lifesaver and the 4x50m medley relay.