Surf lifesaving: Team hope hard yards count in Alexandria

Scott Bartlett. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

New Zealand surf lifesaving coach Scott Bartlett is in a confident mood ahead of the world championships starting in Egypt today.

The 12-strong national team will begin the pool competition in Alexandria, hopeful of emulating their dominance at the last world championships two years ago. They had a 60-point lead after two days in the pool but watched that lead evaporate as Australia fought back in the beach events.

This time, Bartlett and his team are going in better prepared, having attended the Australian national pool championships and embarking on several training camps on the Gold Coast.

"We're going in a lot race fitter and a lot more hardened," Bartlett said.

"We've focused a lot more on high-end competition for this group and actually exposed them to racing a lot more. Last time, we only did three main hitouts but we've done six this time and taking that line has seen the team post some pretty good results."

The team contains co-captain Glenn Anderson, who will equal Cory Hutchings and Anna Ballara in attending his fifth world championships, while defending world board race champion Nikki Cox is going to her third.

The only athletes to be making their debuts at this level are Wellington swimmer Samantha Lee, Orewa ironwoman Rachel Clarke, five-time national ironman champion Dan Moodie and beach sprinter Paul Cracroft-Wilson.

Cracroft-Wilson and Moodie have vast experience competing in Australia, however, while Bartlett has no problems throwing Lee into a world championships campaign.

"The core group are very experienced and there are only a couple of rookies there. Sam Lee probably wouldn't count as a rookie either because she's had a lot of high-end swimming racing behind her."

New Zealand athletes picked up five gold, 13 silver and 12 bronze medals at the last world championships, helping the team finish second overall on 837 points, 52 behind champions Australia.

Italy, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands are again expected to be strong in the pool, as well as China and Australia, although the battle on the beach is likely to just come down to the transtasman rivals.

Bartlett has identified several key areas to improve on to make it harder for Australia to defend their title.

"Last time we had four disqualifications, which potentially cost us between 10 and 20 points and then we had a couple of DNFs, which also hurt.

"Our second-placed athletes also finished outside the top-five in a few events which wasn't flash and some of the athletes were a bit blown away by being out in front and having to combat the raging Australian team that was throwing everything at us.

"This time we've got a set level of points that we've got to come out of the pool with.

"Our beach side is a lot stronger this time around so we know which areas to really target."

New Zealand last won the world championships on home sand in 1998.

New Zealand team

Men: Andrew McMillan (St Clair), Daniel Moodie (Westshore), Glenn Anderson (New Plymouth Old Boys), Kevin Morrison (Mairangi Bay), Paul Cracroft-Wilson (Fitzroy), Steven Kent (Titahi Bay)

Women: Ayla Dunlop-Barrett (New Plymouth Old Boys), Chelsea Maples (Mt Maunganui), Julia Toomey (Muriwai), Nikki Cox (Westshore), Rachel Clarke (Orewa), Samantha Lee (Lyall Bay).

- NZPA