Photo Courtesy: Australian Lifesaving<\/p>\n
MONTPELLIER, France, September 19. THE\u00a0Australian Life Saving Team will have to turn the clock back six years in its bid to reclaim the coveted World Lifesaving crown from arch rivals New Zealand on Sunday.<\/p>\n
After the first two days of the five-day Rescue 2014 World Lifesaving Championships in the south of France, the Kiwis have stolen an 88 point march on the Shannon Eckstein-led Australians with the competition turning to the beach on Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n
The pointscore stands with New Zealand (424 pts) on top from France (411), Italy (381) Australia (336) and Germany (332).<\/p>\n
In 2008 in Germany, the Australians beat the Kiwis on the beach by 110 points, coming back from the dead to snatch the title from a seemingly impossible position and it is going to need that kind of dominance by the Australians to peg back the defending champions when the beach and water events begin at Couchant Beach, La Grande Mott.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s final event of the pool lifesaving schedule at Montpellier, the SERC (Simulated Emergency Response Competition) will see the Australian team of Eckstein, Andrew Bowden, Christina Ruiz and Pamela Hendry favoured to win their fifth gold from the last five Championships.<\/p>\n
It was the French who dominated the pool lifesaving events on day two with a feast of gold medals and world records in one of the most impressive performances in the history of the event with more strong performances from New Zealand stretching their lead over Australia, despite some surprising results from the Aussies in the Line Throw events.<\/p>\n
In one of the major upsets of the meet, the Australian team of Tim Schofield (Terrigal SLSC\/The Hills Lifesaving Club) and Andrew Bowden (Bronte SLSC\/The Hills Life Saving Club) shocked their more fancied European nations to grab the gold medal and a top of the podium finish against Malaysia and Poland in the exciting men\u2019s Line Throw final.<\/p>\n
The Aussies clocked a scorching time of 10.28 seconds to earn valuable points in the chase to win this year\u2019s coveted Alan Whelpton Trophy as International Life Saving\u2019s world champion team.<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s women\u2019s team of Christina Ruiz (Northcliffe SLSC\/RLSS Qld) and Pamela Hendry (Maroochydore SLSC\/RLSS Qld) also added to the medal tally when they claimed the bronze behind New Zealand and the Netherlands in an outstanding performance – the first time ever Australia has won two medals in this event.<\/p>\n
But Australian head coach Danny Short believes the gold and bronze medals could well be the \u201cturning point\u201d his team needs to surge back into contention against a formidable Kiwi outfit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt just might give us the sniff we need,\u201d said Short, \u201cthe boys performance was amazing; the first time we have ever won the Line Throw, an event that\u2019s certainly foreign to us and full marks to Tim Schofield and Andrew Bowden \u2013 they had the crowd on their feet \u2013 it\u2019s so quick and very exciting.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd in the girls event, Christina Ruiz nailed her throw first up and the girls came home third for valuable points.\u201d<\/p>\n
Short was quick to call an Australian team meeting to muster his troops for a herculean effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are up for it; they left the pool with their heads held high and we know we have a huge challenge ahead of us but the Kiwis also know we are coming for them,\u201d said Short.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team spoke about the comeback in 2008 and Shannon and Kristyl Smith were both part of that and they are itching to get to the beach and we will be ready for any conditions that are tossed up.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be tough but it\u2019s not impossible \u2013 we all believe we have the team that can turn this event around and mount some pressure on the Kiwis on day one and fight till the end on day two.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile Australia\u2019s Youth Team showed almost complete dominance in its opening day of beach competition which saw events delayed because of heavy weather conditions.<\/p>\n
But once things cleared up then it was evident that the Brett Dowker coached young Aussies would take some catching.<\/p>\n
In 10 events the Australians, with emerging Ironwoman and champion stillwater swimmer Georgia Miller (Newport SLSC) in brilliant form, won seven gold, three silver and one bronze medal.<\/p>\n
Miller, who represented the Australian Youth Swim Team along with fellow Life Saving Team member Chelsea Gillett (Maroochydore SLSC\/Brisbane Lifesaving) last year, won three gold medals in the individual board final, the board rescue with Prue Davies (Currumbin Beach Vikings\/RLSS Qld) and the Rescue Tube Rescue with Gillett, Ela Heiniger (Byron Bay SLSC\/Port Hacking Lifeguard Club) and Alyssa Koenen (Northcliffe SLSC).<\/p>\n
The Rescue Tube Rescue gold over New Zealand and South Africa gave the Australians five wins from the first five events after what was a great start to the day, that saw Miller and Heiniger take gold and silver in the board final, to set the scene for the young Aussies.<\/p>\n
Beach coach Marty Lynch had plenty of reason to smile with the beach team taking home three gold and a silver, the day after his own success to win gold and silver in the World Masters for his beloved Newport.<\/p>\n
The next crop of beach flyers, Mooloolaba\u2019s Australian champions Nicole \u201cSpecial\u201d Kay and Jason Gough both winning their individual finals before the boys team won gold in the beach relay and the girls the silver.<\/p>\n
The Aussie boys came through in flying colours in the single ski final with gold to Nik Green (Alexandra Headlands SLSC) and bronze to Josh Brown (Byron Bay SLSC) while Daniel Collins (Redhead SLSC) and Brad Woodward (Shelley Beach SLSC\/The Hills Life Saving Club) claimed silver in the boys board rescue and silver in the Rescue Tube Rescue (Green, Brown, Matt Davis Bradley Woodward).<\/p>\n
Green showed his skills on the ski, in the Rescue Tube Rescue and on the beach in the winning relay team while Gillett, Heiniger and Davies all showed their versatility to join Kay in the silver medal winning women\u2019s beach relay foursome.<\/p>\n
The Youth Team will now prepare for Day Two of the Beach events before two days at the Pool in Montpellier.<\/p>\n
Tim Schofield and Andrew Bowden 10.28 (1st) Line Throw
\nChristina Ruiz and Pam Hendry 16.58 (3rd) Line Throw
\nPam Hendry, Christina Ruiz, Kristyl Smith, Naomi Flood 1:43.35 (6th) 4x50m Medley Relay
\nAndrew Bowden, Ryan Napoleon, Tim Schofield, Shannon Eckstein 1:30.71 (6th) 4x50m Medley Relay
\nPam Hendry 56.04 (6th), Christina Ruiz 56.31 (7th) 100m Manikin Carry with Fins
\nAndrew Bowden 30.76 (6th), Tim Schofield (7th) 31.29 50m Manikin Carry
\nPam Hendry 39.16 (8th) 50m Manikin Carry
\nMiranda Bell 2:38.37 (8th) 200m Super Lifesaver<\/p>\n
GOLD
\nTim Schofield, Andrew Bowden – Line Throw
\nSILVER
\nTim Schofield, Andrew Bowden, Shannon Eckstein, Ryan Napoleon \u2013 4×25 Manikin Relay
\nBRONZE
\nNaomi Flood \u2013 100m Manikin Tow with Fins
\nRyan Napoleon – 200m Obstacle Swim
\nChristina Ruiz, Pamela Hendry \u2013 Line Throw<\/p>\n
GOLD (7)<\/p>\n
Georgia Miller \u2013 Board
\nGeorgia Miller, Prue Davies \u2013 Board Rescue
\nGeorgia Miller, Chelsea Gillett, Ela Heiniger, Alyssa Koenen \u2013 Rescue Tube Rescue
\nJason Gough \u2013 Beach Sprint
\nNicole Kay \u2013 Beach Sprint
\nJason Gough, Daniel Collins, Matthew Davis, Nik Green \u2013 Men\u2019s Beach Relay
\nNik Green \u2013 Single ski<\/p>\n
SILVER (3)
\nDaniel Collins, Brad Woodward \u2013 Board Rescue
\nChelsea Gillett, Ela Heiniger, Nicole Kay, Prue Davies \u2013 Women\u2019s Beach Relay
\nEla Heiniger \u2013 Board<\/p>\n
BRONZE (1)
\nJosh Brown \u2013 Single Ski<\/p>\n