World title to Junior Fins

GISBORNE CREW: Dressed to the nines in their team uniforms are Gisborne’s (clockwise from top left) Chris Dawson, Cory Taylor, Briana Irving and Olivia Corrin. Irving’s Junior Black Fins team won the overall youth title at the Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide. The other three were members of the Black Fins open team who were second overall. Picture supplied

The Black Fins New Zealand open team had to settle for second to Australia on the final day of the Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide yesterday.

But the junior team, including Gisborne’s Briana Irving, came through to make history by winning the youth team crown for the first time.

The open team’s efforts were enhanced by the performances of Midway trio Cory Taylor, Chris Dawson and Olivia Corrin, while Waikanae’s Irving was a member of the 12-strong Junior Black Fins squad.

Gold Coast-based Taylor won the board race and was second in the oceanman (ironman) final over a gruelling 1200-metre course comprising a swim, board, surf ski and beach sprint.

He and Dawson were also part of the gold medal performance by the New Zealand team in the oceanman relay (taplin).

Corrin was in the gold medal-winning oceanwoman relay team.

She placed fourth in the oceanwoman final — in which teammate Danielle McKenzie won silver — and eighth in the ski final.

Taylor and Dawson were in the silver medal-winning rescue tube rescue team and Taylor teamed with Max Beattie (Omanu) for silver in the board rescue.

Surf Life Saving NZ sport manager Mike Lord said while the Black Fins relinquished the crown they won at the past three world championships “it was a hard-fought battle that went down to last event” on Adelaide’s Glenelg Beach yesterday.

“We are very proud of both our teams.The athletes in the open team gave it their all and you cannot ask for more than that.”

The Australians won the open division by 20 points — 896 points to New Zealand’s 876.

The Black Fins open team won the trophy for the pool component of the world titles. The Australians won the beach events trophy, plus the overall world championship.

The points totals in the youth division were not available when The Herald went to print today.

“Our junior (under-19) team made history in winning the youth championship,” said Lord.

“That is the first time in the history of the world lifesaving titles that anyone has taken the junior title off the Aussies.

“It is a promising result for New Zealand surf lifesaving looking ahead.”

The Junior Black Fins made their winning move in pool events at the South Australia Aquatic Centre over the weekend.

They broke seven records, including two world records, and claimed four gold medals.

Junior Black Fins coach Matt Cairns, of Gisborne, was delighted,

“It was an effort by the whole team and management to dig deep for the silver fern to get this result.

“It had never been done before but we knew we had the best team for the job.

“The team showed amazing resilience when things got tough and kept fighting by putting out massive performances and a lot of personal bests after four days of extremely tough racing.”

The two New Zealand teams won 61 medals over the champs.