Local lifesaver in line for Pier to Pub glory

LORNE Surf Life Saving Club’s Harry Hay will be among the contenders for the coming Pier to Pub in the men’s Superfish category.

The 18-year-old endurance swimmer secured an impressive ninth place finish in the 2023 Pier to Pub in just his fifth attempt at the classic coastal swim.

Hay is motivated for race number six on January 13, with the aspiring swimmer competing in his own backyard considering anything less than a top five finish as a sub-par effort.

“The goal is definitely top five for this coming Pier to Pub,” he said.

“I give myself a chance to win it if I’m in there with the front pack past the Point, if I’m there, then it’s anyone’s race.

“I love the crowd, how everyone watches the finish line and the free nature of the swim.

“The central point of the race is get to the finish line any way you can, there’s not one specific way to get there, you can use a whole bunch of tactics.”

Hay, a Lorne SLSC member since joining the club in Under 7 Nippers, is ranked third in 400m Freestyle, second in 800m Freestyle, and first in 1500m Freestyle as an Under 18 swimmer in the Australian Short Course Swimming Ranking system.

Hay won a bronze in the 1,500m freestyle event and a fourth-place finish in the 800m freestyle at the Australian Open Short Course Swim Championships in September, and a bronze in the 1,500m freestyle at the Australian Long Course Swim Championships in April.

The Melbourne-based swimmer is aspiring to make a national swimming team in the coming years and represent his country on the international stage.

“The goal first is to make the Australian Flippers squad, which is the highest training squad in Australia, then go on from there to hopefully be selected for an Australian team in the coming few years,” he said.

“Anything from World Short Course Championships to the Commonwealth Games.”

Hay said a crucial piece of advice for first-time Pier to Pub swimmers was to head to the far-right side of the starting line – a proven trick that experienced swimmers employ to gain a competitive edge in the 1.2km race’s mass start.

Hayden Cotter, the race’s defending champion and four-time winner in the Superfish category, has also registered for 2024, according to organisers.