Golden first for Gisborne's Chris Dawson

GOLDEN MOMENT: Midway lifeguard Chris Dawson (on the left) won the gold medal at the Lifesaving World Championships at Riccione Beach in Italy in the 100 metres manikin carry with fins final. Black Fins captain Steven Kent won the silver. Picture supplied

A gold medal to Gisborne's Chris Dawson highlighted Day 3 for the Black Fins at the Lifesaving World Championships at Riccione Beach in Italy.

The New Zealand open team held on to third place overall while the juniors moved into second.

Australia leads both open and youth divisions on 428 and 530 points respectively.

The Black Fins open team finished the pool component of the champs overnight and are third on 360. Italy are second on 409.

The Junior Black Fins (413pts) leapfrogged South Africa (394) into second overall as they finished the beach component of the champs.

Dawson, from the Dawson Building Midway club, won the men's 100 metres manikin carry with fins final, with Black Fins captain Steven Kent second.

“It's almost indescribable, I suppose — the warm and fuzzies are back,” Dawson said.

“I was pumped when I won but my bottom lip started going when I looked up and saw everyone in the crowd. It was like a team gold, that's how I felt. It was a little more special.

“And it's my first world championship gold. I've been trying to get one for a wee while now and finally got one. I'm stoked.”

Dawson and Kent have raced and trained together for years as Black Fins team members.

“As corny as it sounds, I think Steve has helped drive me a lot because we were in the trenches a lot together.”

The amount of support he had had from home had been amazing, he said

“I had a pretty tough first day. I didn't nail one of the key races . . . I just had to jump back on the horse, get back out there and put myself in a good position yesterday.

“Thanks for all the support. I definitely couldn't have done it without a lot of people messaging me. Obviously there were some tough results on day one but hey, we got over that.

“We've got three days to go . . . hopefully we can bring it home strong.”

In other success last night (NZ time) for the Black Fins open team, Fergus Eadie won a bronze in the 100m rescue medley.

The open competition shifts to the beach for three further days of racing.

Among the Junior Black Fins' results overnight, Gus Shivnan (Omanu) highlighted their final day in the ocean and on the beach with gold in the surf race final.

Lachie Falloon, from the Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae club, claimed bronze in the board final.

Summer Rolston and Oska Smith, both from Waikanae, were part of the Kiwi junior team who won silver in the mixed ocean lifesaver (taplin).

“The tenacity of the Junior Black Fins team is brilliant,” Surf Life Saving New Zealand high performance manager Tanya Hamilton said.

“They are working incredibly well as a team and their results are showing that. It's so great to see.”

The juniors shift to three days of competition in the pool.