Surf life saving's endurance king Ali Day has won an eighth Coolangatta Gold but has hinted it could be his last time competing in the iconic race.

Speaking after extending his record of Gold titles, the 32-year-old said he wasn't sure if he would feature in the 41.8km race ever again.

"I'm not sure. It takes an army of people to get to the start line each year and it doesn't get any easier as I get older and the target on my back gets bigger and bigger," Day said. I'll just see (if I want to do it again)."

Day was on the verge of throwing up after the finishing line on Sunday following a gruelling race that forced him to use every ounce of skill and energy to win.

He was also battling a 7cm calf tear.

"It held up for the first run leg, but I really started to notice it ... almost instantly," Day said.

"But I've had a great team of people around me to get it [calf] right, it's burning now I've finished, I've (had) a chilli (Deep Heat) patch on it, I stopped for almost 30 seconds in the run leg to tape it up so I took that risk as well.

" A group of six went toe-to-toe on the opening 23km ski leg, with Day, eventual runner-up Matt Bevilacqua, third place finisher Joe Collins, Jackson Borg, Taddy McDonnell and TJ Hendy all in the lead pack.

They remained together in the 1km run to transition before Borg and Day broke away on the 3.5km swim.

Day managed to get a slim 20m break on Borg on the 6.1km board leg. But the job wasn't done, with Day having to exert himself all the way to the line to claim the win.

"I had to push really hard. It's the first time it has been that close in a really long time. The level of the skillset of the other guys and their fitness is improving each year. I'm over the moon and there is a fair bit of relief."

In the women's race Courtney Hancock's effort to win a fifth Gold title was scuppered by Noosa's Carla Papac who claimed her maiden crown. Papac, Hancock and Lana Rogers were locked in a fierce battle throughout each leg but it was Papac who proved the strongest on the final run to the finish.

Hancock was disappointed but gracious for defeat as she turns her attention to the Summer of Surf and Nutri-Grain Series preparations.

"First off I have to give a massive congratulations to Carla," Hancock said.

"I'm obviously disappointed with second but at the end of the day I put it all on the line.

"It makes me more determined for the season ahead." Papac moved from Cronulla to Noosa four months ago to train with Darren Mercer and it has paid off immediately.
"It's such an honour to win this event," she said.

"I wasn't sure who was going to race ... when I saw her (Hancock) name on the start list I thought 'you know what, I'd rather win against the top'.

"Making the move from Cronulla to Noosa was for a lot of reasons, not just the training and good weather, but the biggest reason is the coaches I've been surrounded with," she said.

Article source: Gold Coast Bulletin