Joe Collins (Northcliffe) made it a perfect weekend in Newcastle by taking out today’s Eliminator to back up yesterday’s victory while Newport’s Lizzie Welborn put in a clinical performance to be a deserving winner of the women’s race at Round 2 of the 2024/24 Shaw and Partners Iron Series in Newcastle.

Welborn’s victory was enough to push her into second place for Round 2, however it was Saturday’s Super Sprint winner Electra Outram (Sunshine Beach) who claimed her maiden Series victory courtesy of a third place finish today.

Welborn was a measure of consistency this afternoon: first over the line in the opening elimination race, second in the next before taking victory by more than 20 seconds in the deciding race.

After coming out of the swim leg of the final race alongside Lana Rogers (Northcliffe) and Georgia Fitzsimmons (Northcliffe), Welborn was first to pick up a wave on the board and stretched out an 11 second advantage to the chasers.

She extended that lead in the ski to claim victory over Rogers, while Outram took advantage when Fitzsimmons was forced to roll her ski on the way out, with the Sunshine Beach ironwoman taking third today and first place overall after her Super Sprint victory yesterday.

“I’m so happy – wins in our sport are really hard to come by,” said Welborn. “I think in nine series and 10 years I’ve only had two race wins so to get a third under my belt means the world to me and I feel very grateful today to be able to do it.

“Newcastle is such an amazing beach so when you’re coming in you can see all the crowd on the beach and in the stands up there and it’s a feeling I will never take for granted.”

After the first race of today’s Eliminator, Outram was unsure of her finishing position and needed to ask officials if she had in fact progressed into race two. Safely through, 30 minutes later Outram had not only made it to the final race, but her third place finish was enough to take out her first Series crown ahead of Welborn and Rogers.

“I knew I had come third, but I had no idea [I had won the overall round],” she said. “I’m so stoked, I’m so ecstatic. I probably never would have imagined it so I’m really happy to come away with the win.

“It certainly boosts my confidence. The off-season wasn’t what I wanted; I didn’t get the breaks early in the season so to come through the way I did today gives me a lot of confidence and I’m feeling ecstatic about it.”

Following the women’s race, it was time for the men to take to the tricky conditions Newcastle Beach was serving up. The first major surprise of the day came when Australian Ironman Champion and local favourite Daniel Collins (Redhead) finished 16th in the second Eliminator, relegating him to 17th for the round and out of the remainder of the 2024/25 series.

In the men’s deciding race, it was an all too familiar sight after the opening swim leg with Ali Day (Surfers Paradise) out front with Matt Bevilacqua (Northcliffe) and Collins, however young gun Ethan Callaghan (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) was applying the pressure.

Callaghan moved through the field on the board and was off his craft first, however the big frame of Ben Carberry (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park) loomed large as Saturday’s runner-up entered his favoured ski leg.

As they rounded the cans, Day and Bevilacqua headed Carberry and Collins as they quartet moved into the breaking zone.

Day and Carberry went south and landed the same wave, while Collins stayed straight and was off his ski first on the most direct line to the finish.

The Kiwi gained the edged and sprinted to the tape to claim the race and round ahead of the fast-finishing Carberry and Day, the trio forming a repeat of Saturday’s Super Sprint top three.

“When you look at the company I’m in out there, it’s a huge achievement, not just for me, but for family, friends, everyone back home, my coaches, the whole BMD Northcliffe team, and the teammates I get to train day in, day out with,” said Collins. “It’s definitely not a one man army – it’s the whole crew that pushes me through these achievements.”

Today’s results were added to points earned during yesterday’s Super Sprint to determine not only the Shaw and Partners Iron Series Round 2 winners, but also the next six athletes to be eliminated from the Series.

With 28 men and women starting the opening round at Wanda last month, six were eliminated before this weekend’s round in Newcastle and the field for the final round at North Burleigh is now down to 16.

TODAY’S RESULTS – ELIMINATOR

IRONWOMEN: 1. Lizzie Welborn (Newport), 2. Lana Rogers (Northcliffe),3. Electra Outram (Sunshine Beach), 4. Georgia Fitzsimmons (Northcliffe), 5. Tiarnee Massie (Maroochydore), 6. Naomi Scott (Northcliffe), 7. Lucy Derbyshire (Surfers Paradise), 8. Carla Papac (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), 9. Emma Woods (Alexandra Headland), 10. Jasmine Rayward (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park).


IRONMEN: 1. Joe Collins (Northcliffe), 2. Ben Carberry (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), 3. Ali Day (Surfers Paradise), 4. Matt Bevilacqua (Northcliffe), 5. Ethan Callaghan (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), 6. Finn Askew (Surfers Paradise), 7. Cory Taylor (Northcliffe), 8.Sean Reilly (Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park), 9. Zach Morris (Northcliffe), 10. Jackson Borg (Newport).

Click here for full results.