NSW’s best and brightest have shone on the national stage, bringing home a bagful of medals – plenty gold – from the 2024 Australian Youth Surf Life Saving Championships on the Sunshine Coast at the weekend.
More than 1,500 competitors from across the country descended on Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, and Mooloolaba to kick off the Championships, with many NSW athletes looking to continue their excellent form from State Championships just under a month ago at Manly.
Many managed to do just that – Tahlia Goy of Shelly Beach SLSC won the U15 Female Beach Sprint, Alannah Dimmock of Redhead SLSC was too good in the U14 Female Board, and Kyah Gallen of Wanda SLSC picked up gold in the U14 Female 2km Beach Run, all replicating their State Championships feats.
Jessica Majsak of Ocean Beach SLSC, too, managed to pick up an Aussies gold to go with her State one in the U14 Female Beach Flags, while Moruya SLSC’s Zara Hall took a big leap from her performance at Queenscliff, picking up an Aussies silver medal after finishing fifth at State.
Others, like Zara, managed to take a step up, including Phoenix Preston from Cudgen Headland SLSC who beat reigning State U15 Male Surf Race champion, Warilla Barrack Point SLSC’s Maddix Burke to an Australian gold medal.
Meanwhile, Will Munro of Cooks Hill SLSC and Josh Clark of Manly LSC were among those who went from missing the podium entirely at State to winning their event at Aussies – doing so in the U14 Male Board and the U13 Male Flags, respectively.
On the Manly club, perhaps the performers of the Championships – certainly from a NSW perspective – were Henry Whitehead and Jacob Chalmers. The pair picked up three Aussies gold medals in the team events on Sunday; one with just the two of them in the U13/14 Male Board Rescue, one with Thomas McMurty in the U13/14 Board Relay, and one with McMurty and Dylan Seymour in the U13/14 Cameron Relay.
Many of the usual suspects collected their gold medals as well; Gerringong SLSC’s Miller Siasat beating out old foe, Chris Kondilios from South Maroubra SLSC in the U15 Male Flags, Kai Cook, Will Patterson and Hamish Rae from Swansea Belmont SLSC won the U14/15 Male Board Relay, and Wanda’s Charlotte Bowmer, Poppy Hulbert, Piper Phillips, and Jade Seidel won the U14/15 Female Cameron Relay.
On Kondilios, his South Maroubra U14/15 Male Beach Relay team was too strong, while some other athletes who just missed out on gold in the U15 Female Sprint – Isabella Evans of Wollongong City SLSC and Kaitlyn Williams of North Cronulla SLSC – led their teams to first and second in the U14/15 Female Beach Relay.
Other results of note included Jocelyn Melbourn and Jack Stewart’s wins for North Curl Curl SLSC in the U13 Female Surf Race and U15 Male Iron, respectively, while Lisa Derz of Newport SLSC won the U14 Female Surf Race and Scarlett Hoer of North Cronulla won the U15 Female Flags.
Avoca Beach SLSC topped the podium in the U14/15 Female Board Rescue with Amber-Skye Stevenson and Ciara Williams, while Coogee SLSC picked up a gold in the U13/14 Female Beach Relay.
Maddix Burke, earlier just beaten in the Surf Race, teamed up with Mack Elliott, Max Miller, and Kobe Sims to win the U14/15 Male Surf Teams for Warilla, while the Chalmers brothers out of Swansea, Thomas and Mitchell, won the U13/14 Male 2x1km Beach Relay and finished first and second in the U14 Male 2km Beach Run.
Wanda’s Kyah Gallen grabbed her second gold of the Championships alongside Layla White in the U13/14 Female 2x1km Relay, while over in the Rescue&Resuscitation comp, North Cronulla was victorious in the U13/14 Mixed 2 Person.
The 2024 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships continue this week with the Masters Championships followed by Open athletes hitting the water for the first of five days of competition on Wednesday.
Monday 15 April 2024
