Waikanae speedster Briana Irving lit up the sand on North Kirra Beach in Queensland to win the open female beach sprint final at the Aussie champs. Photo / Surf Life Saving Australia video screenshot
Waikanae speedster Briana Irving lit up the sand on North Kirra Beach in Queensland to win the open female beach sprint final at the Aussie champs. Photo / Surf Life Saving Australia video screenshot
Gisborne surf lifesaver Briana Irving beat the Aussies on their home sand at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
Wearing the Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae cap, Irving won the open female beach sprint title at North Kirra Beach.
It was the first competition for thereigning world champion in her comeback from injury, which prevented her from defending the sprint and beach flags title at the New Zealand champs in Ōhope earlier this month.
“After a long but dedicated injury recovery we’re absolutely delighted to see this awesome athlete and loyal clubbie back on the podium,” Waikanae Surf Life Saving Club said on its Facebook page.
Irving won her heat, her quarter-final, semi-final and then the final ahead of Tahlia Sunderland (Currumbin) and Imogen Herrington (City of Perth).
She got away strongly in the final, took the lead halfway down the track and won by about a metre.
“I missed all the New Zealand surf lifesaving season, so I thought I’d pop over and give the Aussies a go,” the delighted speedster told a commentator afterwards.
Gisborne's Briana Irving is interviewed after her victory in the open female beach sprint final at the Australian national championships on the Gold Coast this week. Photo / Surf Life Saving Australia video screenshot
Give it a go she did. Irving never looked like being caught once she got in front.
Her former Waikanae clubmate Oska Smith and fellow world beach sprint champion, who now competes for Bay of Plenty club Omanu and Northcliffe in Queensland, finished seventh in the men’s final.
He won his quarter-final and was second in his semi-final.
Dawson Building Midway club member Cory Taylor, who competes in Australia for Northcliffe, qualified for the final of the open surf race, as did his Midway clubmate Yahni Brown in the U19 surf race.
