Olympian becomes a Bondi hero
A powerful swim by an Argentinean Olympian was crucial to the Bondi team snatching a dramatic win in the women’s open rescue tube race last month in the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships at Kurrawa on the Gold Coast.
Lilianna Guiscardo, a breaststroke swimmer at the Beijing Olympic Games, entered the water in fifth place and quickly recovered her “patient”, Luane Rowe. Then Rowe slipped from the grasp of Andrea Miller and Madeline Blomberg just short of the finish, but they quickly recovered to drag Rowe across the line ahead of the fast-finishing Swansea-Belmont team.
Meanwhile, Bondi’s five-person women’s open R & R team was runner-up when chasing a record fifth consecutive national title win. The Bondi women drilled a four-point deduction, but were pipped by a single point for the gold medal by the Point Leo team from Victoria.
Bondi representatives performed well over the seven-day championships:
Gold (5): Lilianna Guiscardo, Luane Rowe, Madeline Blomberg, Andrea Miller (women’s open rescue tube teams race); Dori Miller (women’s masters 40-44 years surf and tube rescue races; Lea Hill (women’s masters 65-69 years surf and tube rescue races).
Silver (5): Shae de Lorenzo, Jennifer McMillan, Jann Ashley, Megan Reid, Kylie Miller, coach Andrew McEncroe (women’s open five-person R & R team); Danielle Hoban, Simon Watkins, Scott Ryan, Nick Nezval, Andrew McEncroe, coach Cyril Baldock (open mixed five-person R & R team); Cyril Baldock (men’s masters 65-69 years surf race); Rob Harvey and Calvin Brodie (men’s masters 35-39 double ski race); Cyril Baldock, Gary Emmerton, Steve Delorenzo (men’s masters 170 years combined minimum age surf teams race).
Bronze (2): Tyron Robertson, Michael Pollard, Charles Fountain, Michael Jaeger, Michael Cooper, coach Scott Ryan (men’s open five-person R & R team); Bondi Stalkers crew, Andrew Winters (sweep), Andrew Hoggett, Pat Moore, Richard McDougall, Sven Gloor (men’s masters 120 years combined minimum age surfboat race)
Other finalists (11): Luane Rowe (women’s open surf race); Luane Rowe, Lilianna Guiscardo, Madeline Blomberg, Dori Miller (women’s open surf teams race); Lochie Hinds (men’s under-17 surf and belt races); Sabrina Warwar (women’s under-17, 2km beach run); Steve de Lorenzo (men’s masters 50-54 years surf and tube rescue races); Gary Emmerton (men’s masters 50-54 years surf race); John Caporn (men’s masters 65-69 years tube rescue race); Greg Byrnes and Will Hardman (men’s 110 years combined minimum age double ski race); Frequent Flyers crew, Bob Tate (sweep), Matthew Barker, Titus Day, Kieran Milne, Jason Vineburg (men’s masters 160 years combined minimum age surfboat race).
