Taylor joins elite group of New Zealand athletes

Ironman glory: Queensland-based Midway surf lifeguard Cory Taylor crossed the finish line to win round 5 of the prestigious Ocean6 Nutri-Grain ironman competition at Surfers Paradise on Saturday. Taylor, 25, joined an elite group of Kiwi surf lifesavers, including Gisborne great Cory Hutchings, to have claimed a victory in the series featuring the best ironmen competitors in the world. The win also moved him into third place overall with one round to go. Picture supplied

SURF LIFESAVING

GISBORNE and Midway surf lifeguard Cory Taylor hoisted the finish-line banner above his head on Saturday as victor in the fifth round of the Ocean6 Nutri-Grain Ironman Series in Australia.

It was the 25-year-old surf athlete’s first win in the series and the points scored moved him up into third place overall.

“It felt pretty crazy to win it,” Taylor said.

Taylor joins an elite group of New Zealand surf athletes, including Gisborne’s Cory Hutchings, to have won a round of the Australian series.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Taylor told The Herald.

“The series has been dominated by the top guys,and to get in there and get a win off them feels really good.”

He came out of the water after the first swim leg of the event in fourth place, then improved one place at the end of the ski leg.

“I went into the water with my board third.”

He was behind the world’s most decorated ironman, Shannon Eckstein, and previous series winner Matt Poole.

“But I managed to pass them both on the way round the board course and I won by a wave or two.”

In the four previous rounds Taylor had finished fifth, fourth, fifth and 15th.

Taylor has been based on the Gold Cost for several years, and competes for the Northcliffe club.

He said the small surf on Saturday was not much help.

“There was a little bit of a wave and with a shallow bank there was a lot of running.

“So the run transitions from leg to leg were really important.

“You can never be too confident in surf, because the ocean is always the dictator.”

The series leader remains Ali Day from Surfers Paradise on 394 points, then Poole from Kurrawa in Queensland on 370, Taylor on 339 and Kendrick Louis from Manly in Sydney on 337.

Hutchings said this morning he was thrilled for Taylor.

“What Cory has done is amazing . . . I am so proud of him,” he said.

“A win like that brings with it so much confidence and it really shows that you deserve to be there.

“Cory Taylor is such a good role model for all the young surf athletes in Gisborne.”

The final round of the Ocean6 series will be held in Sydney at Wanda Beach in three weeks.