Corrin strikes gold at Aussies

MAKING WAVES: Gisborne teeanger Olivia Corrin mixed it with the best at “the Aussies” — Australia’s national surf lifesaving championships — and made a golden impact with victory in the under-17 female surf race. Corrin’s programme for the rest of the year includes the Sanyo Cup international carnival in Japan and the youth section of the Rescue 2016 world championships in The Netherlands. It comes at a cost. Corrin and other Gisborne clubbies competing overseas for New Zealand — Jamie Gedye, Casie Fyall and Matt Scott — are busy raising the thousands of dollars needed for the self-funded trips. Picture by Cody Keepa

GOLD to Olivia Corrin was Midway’s standout result at the Australian national surf lifesaving championships on the Sunshine Coast.

But for head coach Matt Sutton, the trip across the Tasman was mainly about gaining competitive experience, and the cauldron known as “the Aussies” certainly provided that.

The Gisborne club sent a 14-strong contingent of athletes to the Sunshine Coast for the champs, which featured around 7000 athletes, including more than 110 Kiwis.

Waikanae and Wainui were also represented. The Aussies were a big step up in quality and quantity of competition for the Gisborne clubbies.

Rising star Corrin, however, was expected to feature strongly and lived up to a reputation that grows with each major carnival.

The efforts of Corrin, 15, culminated in her gold-medal performance in the under-17 female surf race.

“She wasn’t winning the final but got some assistance from the surf,” Sutton said.

Her growing awareness in competitive situations was pivotal, he said.

“Olivia’s skills enabled her to catch a wave at a crucial time in the race.”

She also made the final of the ironwoman, negotiating her way through her heat and semifinal as 100 athletes were whittled down to the final 10.

Making the final was huge, Sutton said. It meant she got to compete in what is known as “the big show” — the major race day on Sunday — in front of a crowd of around 10,000.

Sutton said Corrin was as fast as any of her rivals but just needed to work on the ability to “hustle” in certain parts of the race.

Happy with overall performanceIn saying that, she still had another year in that age-group, so he could not be happier with her overall performance.

Another performer to impress was Alex Bermingham, who was a member of u17 Midway teams who made grand finals in the single ski relay (with Danielle Scott, Kirby Scammell) finishing 6th; beach relay (with Haylea Rodgers, Sophie Twigley, Tyler Burgess) 6th; and surf team race (with Scott, Corrin, Jessica Blakeman) 8th.

The taplin relay team of Scott, Blakeman and Scammell were 14th in the grand final.

Sutton said that for Midway, the champs were mainly about experience. For most, it meant adjusting their goals from higher expectations at home.

Where they might line up as the top three or four at home, in Australia it was the top 20 or 30.

“Just to get through a few rounds was really good and they all did it. The trip for our kids was unreal,” said the former international and world championship medal winner who asked his charges to learn from the experience “and be better next time”.

The lift in intensity was a significant lesson.

“As soon as you put your foot on the start line, you have to be on your game and willing to run over the person next to you,” Sutton said.

Season not over yetThe training and competitive season is far from over for several Gisborne surf lifesavers.

Corrin, Midway’s Matt Scott and Waikanae’s Casie Fyall are in the Surf Lifesaving New Zealand 10-person team to compete at the Sanyo Cup international carnival in Japan in July.

Corrin and Jamie Gedye (Waikanae) are in the New Zealand Black Fins youth team for the world championships in The Netherlands in September.

Midway head coach Sutton is assistant coach of the Junior Black Fins team going to the worlds.

Waikanae and Wainui caps were absent from the Aussie open champs but the club’s flag still flew high. Waikanae member Casie Fyall, who is in her first year at the Auckland University of Technology, competed for the Kurrawa club.

She was a member of the gold medal-winning under-19 female beach relay team, was fourth in the beach flags grand final and fifth in the beach sprint.

Wainui’s Jasmine Smith and Abby Falwasser-Logan competed for the Burgleigh Heads Mowbray Park club.

Smith won gold in the open female surfboard riding and silver in the u19 surfboard riding, and made four grand finals as part of under-19 or open teams.

Falwasser-Logan was third in the u19 female surfboard riding. The Wainui cap was seen in the youth championships, with Saffi Vette competing admirably for the club. She had a ninth placing in the u14 female board final and made the semifinals of the beach flags.