Radford Overcomes Health Scare To Swim For $20K
Getting appendicitis isn’t great at the best of times. But try dealing with it when you’re New Zealand’s best open water swimmer, when one of the most important races of your career is just three weeks away.
Well that’s the scenario that’s faced Rotorua’s Kane Radford, 22, who’s summer was unfolding just fine, until he had his health scare.
He’d won two State New Zealand Ocean Swim Series races putting him in a prime position to win the overall series. Now, he’s preparing for the biggest race of the series, the State King of the Bays off Auckland’s North Shore this weekend, knowing that the timing of his scare couldn’t have been much worse.
“It’s healing fine, but I have had time out of the water and that has impacted on my preparation,” Radford said. “But I’m not getting down about it and I’ve been working even harder to get myself in the best condition I can be in for Saturday’s race.”
Radford heads into the series finale with a narrow lead over Auckland’s Phillip Ryan, but with points from just three of the six races counting, and double points on offer in the King of the Bays, the final standings are set to be markedly different to what the currently are.
The overall winners of both the men’s and women’s series earn $20,000. That’s the richest prize in the history of New Zealand swimming, and makes this series the third richest in the world.
“It’s a massive amount of money,” Radford said. “It’s basically the only prize money that is available to me through actual swimming itself. Winning it would take a lot of pressure of my parents and enable me to get to some world-series open water races.”
Radford’s main competition for the overall series comes from Australian Ky Hurst, the 32-year-old double open water Olympian. Both swimmers have won two rounds, but curiously are yet to race against each other in the series this season.
“This will also be the first time I’ve swum against him in a wetsuit race, which will be really interesting,” Radford said. “It’s daunting in a way to have him on the start line, but at the same time an awesome chance for me to gauge where I am against an amazing athlete; a true legend in open water swimming.”
The occasion is not lost on Hurst either.
“Kane is an exceptional and talented open water swimmer. I’d be making a serious mistake if I underestimate him, no matter what condition he’s in. I’m nervous to be honest. Everyone’s been building to this race. There’s a lot at stake this weekend.”
And Hurst is right. This is far from a two horse race. 12 elite men will be at the start line, including Auckland’s Phillip Ryan who’s placed in every race this season, and 19-year-old Queensland Josh Richardson, who pushed Hurst all the way at the last round, the State Sand To Surf in Mount Maunganui.
And there’s further intrigue through the entry of two Olympians in the pool from last year’s London Olympic Games. Both, Steven Kent (2009) and Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (2011) are former winners of this race.
The women’s race is also set up for a thrilling conclusion, with Australia’s former World Open Water 5km champion Melissa Gorman hot favourite to win her third straight race of the series and win the $20,000.
New Zealand’s best hopes rest with Gold Coast based Cara Baker, 22 and Wellington’s Emma Robinson, 18, who have both qualified for the Open Water World Championships in Barcelona in July. Series leader New Plymouth’s Charlotte Webby is also in the mix, having won two of the six races in the series.
“Obviously I’d love to win this race and the series,” Webby said. “I’ve been training well and it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m up for it. I can’t allow myself to feel beaten on the start line.”
The State King of the Bays is a 2.8km open water swim, starting at Milford Beach at 9:30am NZT this Saturday (April 6th), ending at Takapuna Beach. In all 1600 swimmers will take to the water, in the race’s 10th anniversary.
Current overall standings (after five rounds):
Women:
1. Charlotte Webby 299.57
2. Cara Baker 297.52
3. Kirsty Wannan 285.40
4. Natalie Woodgate 274.10
5. Bridget Maher 273.42
6. Melissa Gorman 200.00
Men:
1. Kane Radford 298.28
2. Phillip Ryan 296.86
3. Casey Glover 287.87
4. Ky Hurst 200.00
5. Josh Richardson 199.22
State King Of The Bays elite women:
Melissa Gorman (Queensland)
Cara Baker (Auckland)
Charlotte Webby (Taranaki)
Emma Robinson (Wellington)
Kirsty Wannan (Auckland)
Natalie Woodgate (Auckland)
Bridget Maher (Auckland)
State King Of The Bays elite men:
Kane Radford (Rotorua)
Ky Hurst (Queensland)
Phillip Ryan (Auckland)
Josh Richardson (Queensland)
Dylan Dunlop-Barrett (Taranaki)
Steven Kent (North Shore)
Michael Sheil (Queensland)
Casey Glover (Wellington)
Jonathan Whittle (Counties-Manukau)
Ben Campbell-MacDonald (Wgtn)
Kaiori McGuinniety (Nelson)
Cameron Todd (Taupo)
For more information: www.oceanswim.co.nz