‘Over the moon’: First IronWoman series podium for Olivia Corrin

FIRST PODIUM: Olivia Corrin from Gisborne finished runner-up in Sydney on Saturday in the first round of the Nutri-Grain IronWoman Series. It was her first podium place in the series. She finished 10th overall last summer and now sits fourth on points after a 12th-place finish in Round 2 on Sunday. Picture supplied

Gisborne surf lifesaving athlete Olivia Corrin has claimed her maiden podium placing in Australia's premier ironman and ironwoman series.

Corrin, from the Dawson Building Midway Club, finished second in the opening round of the Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman Series, held at Manly Beach, Sydney, on Saturday.

Corrin — who lives and trains in Queensland, where she competes for Northcliffe on the Gold Coast — improved her placing in the run up the beach to the finish.

She crossed the line behind New South Wales athlete Lizzie Welborn and ahead of third-placed Northcliffe clubmate Georgia Miller.

Twenty female surf athletes took part in the endurosurf round — the race format comprises a 40-minute race of two swim, board and ski legs.

Corrin, 22, said that after a solid off-season of training, she could not have dreamt of a better start.

“It feels surreal right now,” she said.

“I think that's the best I've felt in a Series race to date.

“I'm over the moon . . . what a result to start the summer with.

“Once I found my rhythm and settled in, I was able to find my way through each leg, and I think that really helped.

“I'm so happy that all my friends and family back home in New Zealand could watch the stream on Sky Sport NZ.”

Fellow New Zealand athlete Danielle McKenzie finished fourth.

In the men's race on Saturday, Kiwi athlete Joe Collins crossed the line fifth, followed by world ironman champion and Corrin's Midway clubmate Cory Taylor, who was sixth in the men's field of 20.

Corrin had to settle for 12th spot in Round 2 of the series, at Manly on Sunday, and Taylor finished seventh. The round was a survival format comprising three 12-minute races starting with 20 competitors, with the last six finishers in each race eliminated until eight are left to contest the final race.

After two rounds, Corrin sits fourth-equal overall on 28 points; McKenzie is seventh on 27.

Taylor sits fifth-equal on 29 points, with Collins fourth on 32.

The third and fourth rounds of the series will be held at Maroubra Beach, Sydney, on January 14 and 15.

' THE dynamic Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae duo of Jack Keepa and Lachie Falloon, with George Wyllie and Gus Shivnan from outside the district, won the teams section of the gruelling Mount Monster endurance event at Mount Maunganui at the weekend.

Their clubmate Nathan Proctor tackled the 12-kilometre ski, 5km run, 1.5km swim and 6km board paddle on his own and was fourth in the open male division, and fifth male overall to finish (an under-19 competitor finished fourth).

Proctor covered the course in 2 hours 30 minutes 37 seconds, just under seven minutes behind winner Jayden Murphy from the Mount.

Yahni Brown from Midway was fourth u19 male to finish and ninth male overall. His time was 2:35:16. Clubmate Jack Lepper was sixth u19 male and 13th male overall, in a time of 2:42:33.

Also from Midway, Jacob Corrin was seventh open male and 11th male overall in a time of 2:37:00, and Sophie Petro was fourth u19 female and ninth female overall in a time of 2:56:49.