TRIATHLON - Anton steps up to the big time

KATHERINE ANTON spent the summer thrashing the pants off the local girls, now the 33-year-old Whangarei triathlete has some bigger fish to try to fry.
Anton, who finished second in the Contact Energy national triathlon series this summer, has been granted a "discretionary" start in the elite field for the New Plymouth ITU world cup race on Sunday.
It will be a step into the big time for the part-time triathlete, but an ideal way to bookend an eye-catching season. Anton secured four top-three finishes in the national series, and was bumped from top spot only when New Zealand elite squad member Nicki Samuels belatedly decided to use the series for training purposes.
Samuels, another Whangarei triathlete now based in Queenstown, won the series, with Anton a close second as her only serious rival.
Anton's efforts were enough to put her first in line for a balloted starting spot in the elite field at New Plymouth. But now the race day is rapidly approaching, the nerves are starting to kick in.
"I will be standing there at the start line with the world's best. Several of the other girls from Britain and Australia and other places have already qualified for the Beijing Olympics, so it is going to be a bit nerve-racking," Anton said.
Anton's elevation to the elite field means there will be three women with strong Northland connections at the start line, though. It is the first race of the world cup season for Beijing-bound Sam Warriner, while Samuels is also in the field in her second ITU start of the year.
But for Anton the race in New Plymouth will mark the end of a long summer of gruelling racing, a campaign that has given her a taste of her potential in the sport.
However, she is not heading to Taranaki with dreams of grandeur, the athletes she will be competing against are all hardened competitors on the world circuit. While Anton's times on the bike and running legs compare favourably, her swim leg is her biggest challenge.
Anton acknowledges her swimming is a weakness, but has enough strength on the bike and determination on the run to compete with the big names.
"This will be a higher level of racing than I have ever raced before. I will just make it to the start line and hope for the best," she said.
"It will be pretty challenging in the swim, but hopefully, if I can pull through there, I can get a decent bike leg in. It has been a good season and a long season for me, but this is a pretty good way of finishing for me. I am looking forward to a rest for a while after this."
The world cup race in New Plymouth will be the highlight of a triathlon festival in the rural city, a weekend of events that includes several age-group races and a children's triathlon and several other events.
A stellar cast will assemble for the elite races on Sunday, with New Zealanders Bevan Docherty and Kris Gemmell in the men's field and the women's start list spiked with several of the top 10 world cup athletes including Warriner, who is ranked No.3.