Bay Harbour: October 24, 2018

Wednesday October 24 2018
• By Matt Salmons
SUMNER LIFESAVER Thomas
McGibbon broke a New Zealand
record at the recent pool rescue
championships in Auckland.
A total of 29 pool records were
broken at the Surf Life Saving
New Zealand event from October
12-14.
The Sumner Surf Lifesaving
Club member broke the under-16
manikin carry without fins record
held by Waikanae’s Michael
Pickett by .07sec, crossing the
line in 33.8sec.
Sumner team coach Seb Johnson
said Thomas was a talented
swimmer, and he had expected
him to do well at the event.
“But to break the record? That’s
the cherry on top.”
Johnson said the team were
off their seats while watching
Thomas in the manikin carry.
“That was classic to see, everyone
got in behind him from the
seats. It was definitely tight but
he gave it a good nudge.”
The Orewa club won the championships,
with Piha finishing
second and the Mt Maunganui
Lifeguard Service third.
Johnson said he was “absolutely
stoked” with how the Sumner
team performed. “We got a
few team medals and personal
medals and everyone got their
personal bests.”
Thomas was also third in the
under-16 100m manikin carry
with fins and won the under-16
line throw alongside Taiko
Torepe-Ormsby.
Taiko also won the under-16
50m swim with fins, finished
second in the 100m rescue
medley and third in the 50m
manikin carry without fins.
Fellow Sumner lifesavers Taylor
Chamberlain, Sebastian Fergusson
and Andrew Fergusson were
also third in several events.
The relay team of Thomas, Taiko,
Taylor and Jasper Fergusson-
Lees won the 50m medley relay
and finished second in the 100m
swim with obstacles.
Johnson said the club members
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
NZ record for Sumner lifesaver
AWARDED: Thomas McGibbon was presented with his medal
by Black Fin Madison Kidd. ​
had trained through the winter,
doing one skill session a week
and five to six swimming competitions
in their own time.
“They were definitely training
hard.”
The Sumner club members
will now start preparations for
the New Zealand surf lifesaving
championships in Mt Maunganui
next year.
“Over the course of the
summer, we’ll be patrolling the
beaches and training at the same
time.”
• By Matt Salmons
AFTER finishing 16th at the
ironman world championships
in Hawaii, Mt Pleasant’s Mike
Phillips is home and preparing
for his next challenge.
Phillips competed in Hawaii
on October 13, and finished in a
time of 8hr 17min.
Fellow Kiwi Braden Currie
from Methven crossed the line
13min before Phillips to finish
fifth, while Germany’s Patrick
Lange won the title with a time
of 7hr 52min.
The Hawaii course included
an ocean swim, coastal cycle in
severe wind and a run through a
lava field.
He said the “very tough conditions”
left him shattered, but he
was pleased with his effort.
Phillips said he was disappointed
he found the cycle stage
tougher than expected.
“If I was to do it again, I would
make sure to stay at the front of
the pack and avoid the surges, or
having to close gaps created.”
He said he could have placed
in the top 10 if he had “ridden
BAY HARBOUR
SPORTS
PAGE 17
CHALLENGE: Mike
Phillips preparing
for the ironman
world champs in
Hawaii.
Ironman looks to next
challenge after Hawaii
like I normally do.”
“I ended up riding the last
60km by myself, as my legs were
completely gone.”
However, he said he was happy
to have finished the run in under
three hours, advancing from
28th to 16th along the way.
“There is a part around 30km
where you drop down to [an
area] where it’s very calm, no
breeze and lava fields either
side. It is very tough running in
these conditions, especially after
being out there for seven hours
already,” he said.
In the lead-up to the event,
Phillips’ backpack was stolen,
along with his phone and wallet,
while he was talking to some
locals.
“When I turned around it was
gone. The police got the footage
of the lady using my credit card,
but all my belongings are still
missing,” he said.
Next month Phillips is set to
compete in the Asia-Pacific half
ironman championships before
returning to Taupo in December
to defend the ironman 70.3 title
he claimed last year.
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