Ali Day has capped a dream season by winning the national ironman crown while Georgia Miller claimed a third ironwoman triumph at the national surf lifesaving titles.
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Day's fightback victory in tricky conditions at North Kirra Beach on the Gold Coast on Sunday allowed him to complete a season trifecta, having already collected the Coolangatta Gold and Ironman Series titles.
Day (Surfers Paradise) came out of the final's opening swim leg in fifth place but paddled his way back to second place after the board. On the closing ski leg, he navigated the back break best to leave his competition in their wake.
"I wish you could bottle that feeling up when I was about 20 metres off the beach and the whole beach just erupted," said Day.
"I didn't win it the prettiest of ways, I've definitely made ironman races look a little easier, that was a tough one ... I had to really work for it today.
"So much pressure, so many nerves go into a 12-minute race. To win it once was incredible, to win it again today ... I'm lost for words really."
Miller (Northcliffe) put her name alongside that of Ironwoman great Karla Gilbert with her third national title.
It came down to a sprint race up the beach with dual Australian Ironwoman champion Courtney Hancock, but Miller was able to hold on and take out the title.
It was an especially sweet win for Miller who was sidelined during the Ironwoman Series after suffering COVID.
"It's just incredible, I really didn't think this would happen (taking back to back titles)," said Miller.
"I didn't get off to a good start, I was in about fourth, but I managed to claw my way back into things.
"We know these conditions really well, we train in them every day," she said. AAP
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