The return of the Shaw and Partners Iron Series to Newcastle Beach brought in fantastic crowds to see some electrifying racing and two title contenders stand up to be counted.

Kiwi Joe Collins (Northcliffe) asserted his authority in the third and final race of the Super Sprint format to take out Saturday’s men’s competition while Electra Outram (Sunshine Beach) could not contain her excitement as she stormed home in the final leg to break the tape in first.

With the Super Sprint format seeing competitors earn points in the first two races to gain the best possible starting position in the third, the men’s standings looked certain to be fought out by some of the Series favourites.

Ali Day (Surfers Paradise), Finn Askew (Surfers Paradise), Zach Morris (Northcliffe) and Ben Carberry (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) and Collins were the first five athletes to set out in the final with less than 10 seconds separating them as they hit the water for the opening board leg.

It was good friends Collins and Askew who were first to make their move, hamming it up for the crowd as they joined each other in the lead en route to the first transition. However you can never count out the racecraft of Ali Day who moved through in the swim leg to make it a race in three.

The transition to the ski was well and truly won by Collins who hit the break first and quickly established what turned out to be a race-winning lead. Carberry, showing the form which saw him take out the 2024 Australian Ski title paddled his way to second with Day in third.

Collins said that having not performed well over the Super Sprint previously, he stuck to his plan to be at the front of the field and see how it played out.

“Today kind of worked out perfectly,” he said. “I was top five both [of the] first [two] races, and then going off six seconds behind Ali is always a big ask.

“But I had the pace off the beach and a bit of luck going into the surf where I got past everyone, so happy days – got to the front, and then it all worked it out.”

Collins believes today’s form not only serves him well for tomorrow’s Eliminator race, but is also eyeing off a possible Series victory.

“I’m looking for another win tomorrow,” he said.”It’s awesome to be down here and if I can keep this form going into North Burleigh, then we should be hopefully coming away with a car!”

Australian Ironman Champion and local favourite Dan Collins (Redhead) sits 19th after day one of competition in Newcastle and has a task in front of him in Sunday’s Eliminator to rise up the rankings.

In the women’s event, Maroochydore’s Tiarnee Massie and Northcliffe’s Naomi Scott were first away from the start line in the Super Sprint decider consistently finishing near the front of the opening two races.

The opening board leg saw them joined by Outram who was fourth after the first two races, while there was plenty of talent chasing them down in the form of Lizzie Welborn (Newport), Analise Kibble (Newport), Lana Rogers (Northcliffe) and Hannah Sculley (Northcliffe).

It was in the swim that the podium positions looked to be determined when Outram led out of the water from Scott and Massie, and being on the ski first proved a crucial advantage for the Wes Berg-coached athlete. While Outram safely made it through the break, Scott and Massie were both dislodged from their craft and the race was all but decided.

Outram was able to enjoy a long wave into the beach and comfortably finished in first ahead of Massie with Rogers fighting back for a top three finish.

“I didn’t even realise I was in front until I saw my little brother going “GO GO!! RUN RUN!!’,” said the 23-year-old. “I just focused on myself, focused on what I needed to do, stuck to my race plan. Really tried to hammer the board, keep on their toes in the swim and just come home in the ski.

“Going into this round I knew I had the legs, the running didn’t phase me.It was whether or not I had the sprint power at the end and I was really happy that I came through and my body managed to hold up.”

Round 2 of the Shaw and Partners Iron Series continues tomorrow at Newcastle Beach with racing from 1-3pm AEDT. Tune in live on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand.

Athletes will compete in The Eliminator format on Sunday. The bottom six ironmen and six ironwomen after Saturday and Sunday’s racing will be eliminated ahead of the final rounds of the Iron Series to be held at North Burleigh in February 2025.

TODAY’S RESULTS

IRONWOMEN: 1. Electra Outram (Sunshine Beach), Tiarnee Massie (Maroochydore), 3. Lana Rogers (Northcliffe),4. Lizzie Welborn (Newport), 5. Analise Kibble (Newport), 6. Georgia Fitzsimmons (Northcliffe),7. Lucy Derbyshire (Surfers Paradise), 8. Jasmine Rayward (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), 9. Emma Woods (Alexandra Headland),10. Hannah Sculley (Northcliffe).

IRONMEN: 1. Joe Collins (Northcliffe), 2. Ben Carberry (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), 3. Ali Day (Surfers Paradise),4. Finn Askew (Surfers Paradise), 5. Zach Morris (Northcliffe), 6. Conner Maggs (Newport), 7. Brayden Casamento (Alexandra Headland), 8. Ryley Harland (Northcliffe), 9. Ethan Callaghan (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park),10. Matt Bevilacqua (Northcliffe).

For full results, click here