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A FANTASTIC lifesaving season in South Africa will culminate in a tussle between 40 countries as the SA squad heads to the Lifesaving World Championships in Germany, 21 to 29 July.

The team hit the beach in Fish Hoek for training and were faced with testing conditions. Ice-cold winds lashed them every time they left the chilly False Bay waters.

But surf lifesaving coach, Andrew Crook, is confident that his team has what it takes to finish in the top three once again.

"I'm hoping that if we get everything right, we will put Australia and New Zealand under pressure and we can end first or second," says Crook, who coached the team to third place at the 2004 world champs in Italy, as well as the overall bronze medal at the 2006 world champs in Australia.

The team consists of 12 competitors ? six women and six men - who will compete in a total of 41 events. Australia will be defending the title after their home win in 2006, with New Zealand taking the silver medal. The events are split in half, with the men and women set to compete in ten pool events and ten surf events in their divisions.

"South Africa has traditionally been strong in the surf and had to select pool specialist lifesavers to compete in the pool. The Europeans have dominated the pool in the past, but because of the quality of the surf competitors, the southern nations have been able to leap ahead of them at the competitions. But South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have been putting work into the pool training because better results in the pool will hopefully affect the overall results. On the other side, the strong European sides have been sending their lifesavers on camps to improve their surf skills. So without a doubt this is going to be one of the toughest world champs so far.

"It's going to be a helluva lot closer then everyone thinks."

Crook has said that this is the most balanced team that has ever been chosen to represent South Africa and that the outlook on stillwater lifesaving is changing.

This is clearly visible with the two pool specialists, Fish Hoek residents Eloise van Gysen and Jade Antunes, who are also surf swimmers.

"If we can go ahead of New Zealand and Australia in the pool, they will not be allowed to make a mistake in the surf, which is exactly what we want," says Crook.

New Balance Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving club has five members in the team: Kendall Loots, Antunes, Jasper Mocke, Kim Brugman and Van Gysen, along with Andrew Crook. False Bay Lifesaving Club's Ryle de Morny is the other local in the squad.

"Everyone we've picked should score in the top eight. That's where I have set my pass or failure rate. The times achieved at the SA Stillwater lifesaving Nationals and the Surf Nationals have proved that they can finish in those positions. If they don't achieve that then I would say that they have failed."

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