Surf elite chase glory

Jordan Mercer in IronWoman mode.

Contributed

ALL eyes will be on Noosa for the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain IronMan Series, with local hope Jordan Mercer well in the frame to do something special this Sunday at Main Beach.

After the Coolum Round 5 results, where the young champion-in-the-making came in fourth behind comeback competitor Candice Falzon, Mercer is sitting forth overall in the series, just a point ahead of Falzon.

The series leader is Kristyl Smith.

In the men's racing last Sunday, Olympic swimmer Ky Hurst stormed home in a thrilling sprint finish ahead of Hugh Dougherty, to claim the fifth round.

With the season finale set down for an elimination race in Noosa on Sunday, Day (95 points) holds a five-point lead over Caine Eckstein, with Shannon a further seven points back. Hurst is in fourth on 76.

Falzon produced the performance of her career, claiming her maiden race win in the IronWoman Series ahead of Bonnie Hancock and Smith.

Hurst began the race 17 seconds behind Shannon Eckstein and that margin was exactly the same after the opening ski leg.

Eckstein was then desperately unlucky in the swim leg and had to look back and see Dougherty, Hurst and his brother surf on by.

A jubilant Hurst said he had ridden a rollercoaster wave of a season but he was not looking for any excuses following his round-three disqualification.

"I treat each race as it comes, so today was the same..." he said.

"I'm looking to make sure I do everything right this week, recover as good as I can before next Sunday and hopefully I can be ready to fire again."

IronWoman Series leader going into last Sunday, Liz Pluimers finished in sixth position relinquishing the overall black leader's jersey to her training partner Smith.

For Falzon, the win was sweet reward for 15 hard earned years in the sport and the perfect response to all the critics who had doubted her after three years away from the series.

"I had a few years off and everyone knows I had some bad times, but I never stopped believing and never stopped dreaming and I knew one day this would happen," Falzon said.

The final round of the summer at Noosa sees the IronWoman race starting at 11.30am, the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain IronMan Series race getting under way at 1.30pm and the television coverage beginning on Network Ten at 2pm nationally.