Ky Hurst has returned to the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain IronMan Series winner’s circle for the first time in two years after taking out round two at the Mornington Peninsula’s famed Portsea beach.

Hurst finished with a win, a second and a third from the three races in the Triple Sprint format to beat long ime rival Shannon Eckstein and rising star Kendrick Louis.       

Louis, who was fourth in the season opener at Surfers Paradise last month, has now grabbed the overall Nutri-Grain Series lead with 37 points, one ahead of Hurst and Day with Eckstein a further two points back.

Round one winner Caine Eckstein had a day he’d rather forget and finished 14th to slip to fifth overall in the race for the title and the coveted Grant Kenny medal.

In the IronWoman Series race Courtney Hancock won her second successive race to take a ten point Series lead. Allira Richardson was second and Kristyl Smith third.

In the opening leg of today’s first IronMan race, Hurst’s favoured swim leg, the open water swimming Olympian stole a massive lead and essentially set himself up for what proved to be a winning afternoon.

"That first race was about getting up the front and getting it under the belt,” Hurst said. "I managed to do that. After that I tried to keep it strong. There was never a point where I went too hard. Everything was consistent and strong. I tried to maintain that strength.”

The result was a far cry from Hurst’s round one performance where he led for part of the race only to labour into tenth place.

"That tenth place isn't too bad but realistically to win a Series you need to be in that top five and be consistent every round,” he said. "We've still got four more rounds left. Hopefully I can keep getting stronger as the races progress.

"I'm not writing it off completely. I'm definitely keeping an eye on it. Hopefully I can be consistent in the last four rounds. This is the kind of racing you really need to be consistent in.”

Louis, who will take the Series lead into round three, said the leader's jersey wasn't on his mind although he was happy that he had been able to stay consistent so far this season with a win in the trial and a third and fourth in the first two rounds.

”I heard not long ago Shannon (Eckstein) say that if you finish third in every round, that can almost guarantee you a series, Louis said. ”And he's a smart bloke. Consistency is the key. It's good to be doing what I'm doing right now. Mentally and physically I'm in the right spot.
I've just got to keep this momentum going and hopefully stay on track, stay healthy and it all falls my way.”

In the IronWoman Series event, Hancock won the first of two races in the Sprint format and when she recovered from a massive hit on the shore break in the second race’s final ski leg to finish fourth her second successive win was assured.

Allira Richardson won the second race to go with a seventh in the first for second, a marvellous bounce back from her disastrous 19th in round one. Kristyl Smith had a sixth and a third today for third place overall, matching her position in the season opener at Surfers Paradise last month.

Hancock now holds a commanding lead the IronWoman Series pointscore on 50 points from Smith on 40 and Liz Pluimers on 32.

Pluimers was 11th today, continuing her personal Portsea curse that saw her lose the title last year at the famed Mornington Peninsula break. Today she was second in the first race but was involved in the same shore break carnage as Hancock and Smith in the second race and finished last.

After claiming her victory an ecstatic Hancock said she feared her chances were shot when she was thrown backwards on the shore with Smith, Pluimers and her sister Bonnie.

“Kristyl, Bonnie and I absolutely got nailed on the shorey today,” Hancock said. “It was probably exciting for everyone watching today but I was really quite nervous when I jumped on that ski and got going again. I figured out I was in about eighth so it was quite nerve-racking in that last race.”

For Richardson it was a drastic turn around from round one, something she put down to a more relaxed mindset.

”I was definitely disappointed after the first round, but you know what, this round I cared less,” Richardson said. “I had a little bit more fun, I wasn't as anxious, I just enjoyed the moment for what it was. I love this beach, I love travelling. Having my family come down from NSW definitely made me relax a lot more.
Basically I think I was less stressed and more relaxed.”

Sydney’s Candice Falzon was fourth – her best career result.

The third event of the six round Series will be contested at Newcastle in New South Wales on Sunday January 22, with round four set down for battle along Perth’s coastline the following Sunday.