Gisborne Gold Sets The Beach Alight

Silvers And Records For Black Fins

Black Fin Madi Kidd has set a new New Zealand record on her way to silver in the women’s 100m Manikin tow at the Word Championships in Riccione, Italy.

Kidd’s time of 56.73 in the second to last event of day one was a scorcher amongst incredibly tough competition.

Finals on day one of the world champs got underway for the Open teams with 200m obstacle swim with the Kiwis featuring in both finals.

Molly Shivnan was fifth in the A final with Liv Corrin third in the B final.

In the men’s event captain Steve Kent battled with Australian James Koch all the way to eventually settle for silver with Chris Dawson finishing seventh.

The silvers kept coming for the Black Fins with the women’s 4x50m Obstacle relay – Corrin, Kidd, Shivnan and Nat Peat - also taking second in the A final, the men’s team finished fifth in their A final.

The two Manikin tow events closed out the day at the pool for the Black Fins with Kidd storming home for second and Peat finishing fifth in the women’s A final before Kent capped the day with a bronze in the men’s event.

“It was a tough first day of racing, the competition is hot” Surf Lifesaving New Zealand High Performance manager Tanya Hamilton says.

“It was great to see the team pick up some early medals and points.

“The best thing about the day though has been the way the entire team has got in behind each other. It sets things up brilliantly for us to continue to race hard and accumulate points.”

Day two at the pool for the Black Fins gets underway on Wednesday night NZ time with the 50m manikin carry for both women and men.

Gisborne Gold Sets The Beach Alight

Gisborne’s Oska Smith has opened the New Zealand gold account at the Surf Lifesaving World Championships in Riccione, Italy overnight.

The Junior Black Fin has scorched the sand in Northern Italy to take the first world title for the New Zealand team on the opening day of competition.

Smith, from Waikanae, was simply too good for the rest of the field.

“It was such an impressive run from Oska,” Surf Lifesaving New Zealand High Performance manager Tanya Hamilton says.

“He’s helped get the Junior Black Fins off to a great start on day one.”

It was Smith’s Waikanae teammate Summer Rolston who got the junior medal haul underway for the day finishing third in the women’s Oceanwoman final, with Charlize Menefy finishing fifth.

Mount Maunganui’s Jayden Murphy followed that up with a second in a hotly contested Oceanman final, with Lachie Falloon finishing fourth in the same final.

George Wenman and Jack Keepa were third in the men’s board rescue and their teammates, Lucy Bartlett and Menefy, were fourth in the women’s final.

In the women’s beach sprint final, Rosie Falcous and Bartlett finished seventh and eight respectively, while Falloon was eighth in the men’s final.

The day finished off with two beach relays with the men - Smith, Keepa, Falloon and Wenman – bagging a silver and the women’s team finishing eighth.

Day two kicks off on Wednesday evening NZ time with the men’s ski race and the women’s board race.

photo credit: Photo Credit: Cody Keepa, www.keepadigital.co.nz