Anaconda Adventure Race, Lorne
Ussher wins Anaconda Adventure finale, confirms 2011 National Series title
Media Release / 04.12.2011
Ussher joined the biggest field ever to assemble for an Anaconda Adventure Race at Lorne, lining up in icy early morning conditions. He had strong competition on paper: countryman Braden Currie was marked as a very real threat along with 2010 series champ, Geelong’s Grant Suckling, and WA’s Sean O’Neill both notable as potential round winners.
On the line was the National Series Title with only four points separating first and fourth on the overall leaderboard and ten points up for grabs for crossing the line at the pointy end.
It became a story almost set in stone early on with Ussher comfortably taking control of the race from the paddle onwards. First time series competitor Braden Currie valiantly held onto his countryman’s heels, pushing the champion hard until the pair hit the 18km mountain bike leg where the Anaconda newcomer just couldn’t maintain Ussher’s blistering pace riding up hills that mortals tend to puff just walking up.
Ussher’s winning sub-four hour time confirmed what most had already assumed as a history book fact – that he’d be 2011 Series Champion. However the minor placings were still hotly contested given the Series standings remained in the balance, as did prize money. But the finish came too quickly for O’Neill who suffered a fall fresh out of the bike transition, allowing Currie to hold on to second place.
The result gave Currie, who missed the first round in Forster but exploded from nowhere to win at the Gold Coast, enough points to overtake 2010 champion, Grant Suckling, and cement his status as a Top Flight athlete for 2012 having snatched second overall this year.
O’Neill, who has steadily become stronger as the series has progressed, crossed not far behind Currie. His series interests were still undecided for another eight minutes, Grant Suckling needing to fall back to fifth or beyond for O’Neil to take the final series podium slot. It wasn’t to be.
Suckling appeared as the next athlete to round the corner off the final beach run (sneaking home in fourth ahead of Jarad Kohlar), his race placing enough to stay one point ahead of O’Neill for an overall series third place.
For the swim crowd lining up at Lorne Pier in the early hours, it was an almost Antarctic slap in the face to get the spirits going as the wind chopped up from the south, bringing with it fears for the paddle leg, which race organisers had already confirmed altered due to inclement conditions.
SleepMonsters
