AN Australian swimmer who ventured to Warrnambool for the Summer of Surf carnival left with a Shipwreck Coast Swim Series win to his credit.
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Jorden Merrilees, who represented the Dolphins at the 2018 FINA world swimming shortcourse championships, pipped home-town chance Isaac Jones at the finish line on Saturday morning.
Merrilees, 27, then competed in the Battle of the Bay - also on the Warrnambool foreshore - on Saturday afternoon.
The North Melbourne-based athlete, who works as a swim coach at Mentone Grammar and surf coach at Urban Surf, said his entry came from left-field.
"I was happy they sent out an email and said there was a swim on as I had no idea it was on," he said post race.
"It makes the trip worthwhile."
Merrilees and Jones went head-to-head for the 1.2-kilometre journey.
Both swimmers competed in America in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) system.
Merrilees swam for University of Oakland before transferring to University of North Carolina while Jones, who now teaches at Warrnambool's Emmanuel College, competed for University of Kentucky.
"There was a bit of good swell out the back which just helps you along and makes it a little less hard work," Merrilees said of the Warrnambool swim.
"He (Jones) held the pace the whole way. I think I just got lucky at the end. He did all the hard work and I kind of sat there sponging for a bit.
"He's done a lot; he's been at uni (in America) and I have seen him do some good races at the national level in the pool.
"He is a really, really good swimmer."
Merrilees has completed the Port Fairy swim in the past and said he would consider racing all four legs - if time permitted - in the future. He said "you can't keep me out of the water".
"I grew up in Queensland and my nan lived in Tweed Heads so we used to head down to Coolangatta and Queenscliff and have a fun time as a kid," he said.