COURTZ’ CORNER – Issue Two
2024/25 Shaw and Partners Iron Series Round 2 Review
Welcome to Champion Ironwoman Courtney Hancock’s very own corner of the Shaw and Partners Iron Series. Here you’ll find the thoughts and predictions of the 3x Iron Series Champion and 4x Coolangatta Gold Champion, the one-and-only Courtz!
This week, Courtz goes over some of the talking points from Round 2 in Newcastle.
Who was a stand-out performance?
When you hear the three words of “stand-out performance” for Round 2, you can’t go past Joe Collins. Not only did Collins smile his way through every leg, making Ironman racing look like a breeze, he stamped his authority on the rest of the field, making it clear he is keen to avenge his second place from last year’s series. He is quickly becoming the man most likely to be able to wrestle the crown from Ali Day, as Day aims to take a sixth title. He is fit, fast, fierce – and with a big personality, he is a favourite among the crowd. There are some serious challengers in the men’s field, but if Joe Collins can bring his Newcastle form to North Burleigh… then watch out!
She has threatened to lay down a race to match the ability she possesses, so it was only a matter of time before Electra Outram was going to be a Shaw and Partners Iron Series Round winner. Outram is a beautiful athlete to watch. She floats across the sand, barely making a footprint, her long legs galloping over the surf and connecting waves north and south, never making a fuss. She went into Newcastle as a dark horse, and now goes into Round 3 as a huge threat to the overall title. You can tell Outram has put the work in. Her backend of races are frontend pace, she never looks too puffed, and my favourite trait of all, she is incredibly humble.
What was your favourite moment from the round?
I had the best seat in the house listening to Josh Minogue call the sprint finish of Collins, Carberry and Day which is one of the highlights for me as a commentator. I had goosebumps and when it came my time to talk, I couldn’t, I was speechless. This goes down as one of the greatest sprint finishes in our sports history. At the end of three brutal eliminator races, the Ironmen found themselves somehow in a three-horse race in the dying moments. Carberry basically paddling over rocks to the south end; Day in the middle focusing on his moment to leap and sprint; and Collins, almost so far north he was out of shot before he jumped off his ski and ran, giving him the one metre he needed to beat big Benny charging from the south!
Seeing Electra Outram’s big smile as she turned the last corner to take out the Super Sprint on Saturday gave me chills. You could feel how much this meant to her and the way she appreciated just how special this occasion was. It was a special moment for all, but especially young nippers coming through as a reminder of the sacrifice and hard work needed to achieve this. It was also a reminder that these moments don’t come around often, so saviour every second of them.
How did Newcastle conditions play a role and who took advantage on them?
Every athlete has their weapon leg, and to be honest, these days Ironmen and Ironwomen don’t seem to have a weak leg anywhere. Lizzie Welborn raced at Newcastle like a local, she knew the beach like the back of her hand, and that board leg… well I don’t think I’ve seen an Ironwoman board paddle like this in an Ironwomen race since Reen Corbett. With a win on Sunday in the Eliminator format and a second overall in Round 2, Welborn is firing and ready to go. I haven’t seen Lizzie this fit before. Across the first two rounds she has raced with an absolute fire and steely resolve – it must ring alarm bells for the other girls. Welborn has been Miss Consistent in the Iron Series, landing herself on the overall podium a few times, and with an eye on the top step you can witness that extra fire in her belly. Dangerous, would be my word to describe Lizzie leading into North Burleigh.
An Ironman who looked the goods all weekend, but didn’t get the results he would have liked, was Finn Askew. A little extra running didn’t dampen his sprits, Askew made the most of every single condition out there. He worked the long run legs with a pace of ‘catch me if you can’, and if there was a wave, he would put himself in the best possible position to be on it. He loves the swell and can read the ocean very well, but his ability to stay sharp and still be just as alert in the third race of an Eliminator is a great reflection of Askew’s fitness. With a World Title already under his name, this Ironman wants more!
What’s something we learnt from Round 2?
He may have only made Round 2 by one spot, but if you doubted Ben Carberry’s form leading into Newcastle, you have all the answers you need. Illness restricted the strong Ironman out of any winning contention for Round 1, and so it became more of a mental game to just grab a spot, any spot for Round 2. The ability for Carberry to bounce back and leave the nightmare of Round 1 behind him shows a true test of his character and why he is one of the best. Long transitions were the name of the game in Newcastle, and there were plenty of them – and based on the power and sheer size of Carberry, you may think this would have been a detriment to his chances. But the scary thing for the rest of the field is that he thrived! Watch out for Carberry as he is going from strength to strength.
Rogers, Massie, Outram, Welborn. These girls have been the form athletes across the first two rounds. When you add in the lurking danger of Fitzsimmons finding her groove, the Shaw and Partners Ironwoman Series is blown wide open, and Round 3 promises to be the ultimate showdown. With only two Ironwoman racing with titles under their name, this crop of women all want that desired crown. The series has thrown up some incredible performances – is there another girl who can throw her name in the ring? This final weekend at North Burleigh is one not to be missed. If asked to name a favourite, you wouldn’t be game to answer.