Contenders eye Lani Pallister and Hayden Cotter’s crowns at Pier to Pub

The Geelong Addy runs through the names to watch in the famous Lorne waves on Saturday.

Lani Pallister

It’s hard to see anybody prizing the trophy out of the Queenslander’s hands.

Pallister returns to Lorne in red-hot form, having become the first female swimmer to win three freestyle gold medals in the one short course world championships in Melbourne last month.

Still just 20, Pallister also bagged a Commonwealth Games bronze medal last year.

“There is no doubt about it, with her form and what she demonstrated in the short course, she is head and shoulders above the rest,” Superfish race director Jeremy Walker said.

“She is obviously swimming quite well and training really well in Queensland so she will come down and be an outstanding favourite. She really is the one to watch.”

Madison Cooper

Pegged as a rising star at Geelong Swimming Club for years, Cooper is in good touch, having roared home to win the Danger 1000 at Jan Juc last weekend.

The 18-year-old also finished second in the Rock 2 Ramp at Anglesea.

“There are about three or four girls I hope really race together, I don’t think they will have the form to match Lani though,” Walker said.

Mia Holah

While Cooper took out the Danger 1000, Holah pipped her at the Rock 2 Ramp.

Holah is part of a pack chasing Pallister that includes Brianna Donato and youngsters Mackie Hunter and Giselle Davey.

Naantali Marshall

If anybody knows how to win the Pier to Pub, it is six-time Superfish Marshall.

Her record is outstanding and she will know the waves like the back of her hand.

Marshall, 47, is the only competitor in the female Superfish field over the age of 24.

Hayden Cotter

Despite having virtually a year off racing, Cotter is the favourite in the male field.

A back-to-back-to-back winner from 2018-20, Cotter said simply swimming straight and not having to worry about tumble turns like in the pool suited his style.

“I think the sprint finish and no turns like in the pool, it seems to be working out all right,” Cotter said.

Bailey Armstrong

Fellow Queenslander Armstrong was pegged as a serious challenger to Cotter’s crown by Walker.

The two faced off in Olympic qualifiers and could push each other right to the finish.

“(Armstrong) has been racing very strong this summer in some of the earlier season races that Queensland hold, so him and Hayden will have a really red-hot race,” Walker said.

Archie Vernon

Perhaps no swimmer comes to Lorne in such form as the Torquay-raised man mountain.

He claimed honours in the Rip View Classic, the Danger 1000 and the Jim Wall Iron.

He has had his eye on the Pier to Pub all summer and Vernon plans to go out as hard in the 1.2km race to stretch the field.

“He really is on fire,” Walker said.

“Archie finished fourth back in 2020 in our last physical race and those couple of years in Queensland training and racing, we have high expectations of Archie.”

Matt Gilling

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A perennial high-finisher in swims around the region, Gilling may not have had the golden run he enjoyed last summer when he won the Rip View, Rock 2 Ramp and Jim Wall but he is one you certainly can’t count out.

Walker also said he would be keeping an eye out for Lorne local Harry Hay and 18-year-old Oliver Mackenzie in the male field.

josh.barnes1@news.com.au

Originally published as Contenders eye Lani Pallister and Hayden Cotter’s crowns at Pier to Pub