Ali Day is warily looking over his shoulder leading into Sunday’s sixth and final round of the Ironman Series.
The Mooloolaba competitor has a tenuous five-point advantage over ironman icon Caine Eckstein leading into the eliminator event, which is set to be held in calm conditions at Noosa Heads.
“It’s pretty scary, especially having Caine – a bloke who has won five Coolangatta Golds and has won two races this year – trying to get you,” he said.
“Shannon (Eckstein) is behind me as well, along with Ky (Hurst) and Zane (Holmes) so that is pretty daunting but I’m looking forward to the challenge and whatever happens happens I suppose.”
Sunday’s round will see the 20-man field reduced by four after each race until eight men remain for the final.
Day snared second spot in a similar event at Newcastle last month, when Eckstein finished eighth after a sequence of short, sharp races.
But Day remains cautious of his closest rival, who took five points off him in the pursuit format at Coolum Beach last weekend.
“I think a lot of people write him off as not being a sprint event sort of guy but I think that he is for sure,” he said.
“He showed it at last year’s Australian Championships when he got third. And in these conditions here – he’ll eat this up. He loves this kind of stuff and I know he’s raring to go.”
Day, 21, and Eckstein, 25, are both vying for a maiden series title and are attempting to become the first ironman in 13 years to break the domination of Shannon Eckstein, Hurst and Holmes.
Regardless of the result, Day will be content with his efforts this summer, particularly after spending three months sidelined by a leg injury during the off-season.
“With the off-season I had, the goal was just to get on the podium once so I was happy after the first round. Anything was a bonus from there,” Day said.
After moving from New South Wales to the Sunshine Coast last year, he has placed third, fifth, second, second and sixth.
“I have easily exceeded my expectations. To hold on to the leader’s black jersey a couple of times and especially into the last rounds, that’s a pretty special thing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Northcliffe’s Kristyl Smith will attempt to snap of string of runner-up results in the Ironwoman Series.
Smith, 28, has claimed second place on five occasions but is yet to win a series.
She holds a slender one-point lead over clubmate Liz Pluimers and has admitted the format at Noosa Heads “probably favours Elizabeth more”.
Defending champion Courtney Hancock is a further six points adrift.
The women’s race starts at 11.30am (1230AEDT) and the men’s race at 1.30pm (1430AEDT).
