ATHLETICS - Ackermann a strong Grand Prix contender

Whangarei's Simone Ackermann has raced into the lead in the Stoke and Stride Grand Prix series in Auckland to establish herself as the top contender for a $1000 prize.
Ackermann, who has just completed the first year of a BSc, has headed off fields of up to 250 women in the swim and run event, winning the first three of the eight-race series.
Grand Prix points are calculated on the basis of the competitors' best five races, plus race eight - the final.
In contrast to the message communicated by her impressive racing, Ackermann's comments on her prospects in the Grand Prix are charmingly modest.
"I've got a chance but it's a long way to go before the end of the season," she said.
Although comfortably clear at the finish line in all three races, Ackermann has needed to keep a cool head and work hard for her victories. Teresa Adam, an accomplished triathlete noted for her strong swim, has tried in each race to grab a commanding lead in the swim, but only managed a gap of a few seconds by the transition - not enough to hold off Ackermann's determined run.
Last year's series winner, Carmel Hanly, is also snapping at Ackermann's heels. In race three, after reaching the transition 17 seconds behind Ackermann and 27 seconds behind Adam, Hanly swept past Adam to take second place, with a run-time one second faster than Ackermann's.
This year's Stroke and Stride Grand Prix is Ackermann's fifth season in the series and by far her best. She attributes her improvement to the tough training regime she's following, under the guidance of her coach, Ian Babe. "A couple of mornings a week, I swim about four to five kilometres and I'm doing longer runs and cycles. I do three days of runs for about one-and-a-half to two-hours and three days with cycling for about that time," Ackermann said.
As well as the Stroke and Stride Grand Prix, Ackermann is targeting the New Zealand Under-19 Sprint Triathlon Championships, on February 8 at Kinloch, Lake Taupo. A podium finish is likely to see her selected for the world championships, on the Gold Coast of Australia, in September.