Wildcard for Corrin

NZ Surf Lifesaving Champs - Olivia Corrin - Midway open ski

GISBORNE surf lifeguards Cory Taylor and Olivia Corrin will compete again this summer in the prestigious Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman series in Australia.

Corrin, from Dawson Building Midway, who competes for the Northcliffe Surf Life Saving Club in Queensland, was one of four “wildcards” announced for the series.

She made it through the first trial last Saturday from a field of 50 women who tried out.

“Olivia finished eighth on the Saturday and went through to the second round of qualifying on Sunday, where she finished eighth,” her father Dave Corrin said today.

“They were taking only the first seven from that second trial, but Olivia was picked as a wild card.”

“She’s really stoked to have got through.

“Olivia’s worked really hard this year and is in the best physical shape she’s been in for years.”

The 21-year-old joins 19 other women for her third summer in the series.

Cory Taylor, who also competes for Midway while in New Zealand and for Northcliffe in Australia, qualified automatically for this series, based on the points he scored in last year’s event.

Taylor’s best round result was in Round 4 this year, when he finished third.

His best series finish was fourth in the 2018/19 Iron Series.

This will be the fifth summer the 27-year-old has competed in the men’s event.

“Mentally, it’s kind of refreshing to know we’re racing, despite Covid,” Taylor said.

“We’ve had a huge off-season training.”

The result of that hard work was reflected in his runner-up placing in the recent Coolangatta Gold long-distance event.

“I’m hoping to be able to transfer that form into the shorter racing format of the Nutri-Grain,” he said.

It is just three weeks until the Nutri-Grain IronMan and IronWoman starts on Bondi Beach with rounds 1 to 3 from January 14 to 16.

The second lot of three-round competitions will be held at Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast from February 4 to 6.