Triathlon: Juniors a force for North

Among the myriad of events supporting the ITU Triathlon Word Championship Grand Final in Auckland at the weekend a Northland win will remain large in the mind of the competitors and their families for years to come.

The Whangarei Future Championz team won the Auckland 3:5:3 junior boys' division and were awarded medals and prizes at The Cloud on Auckland's waterfront.

The team of emerging Northland triathletes James Edwards, Louis Poot, Kieran King and Harry Pearson won the 3:5:3 teams race on Sunday.

The event saw each of the athletes race individually over the 300m swim, 5km ride and 3000m course, before passing on the timing chip to the next competitor.

The team, coached by former Olympian Sam Warriner, were among the frontrunners from the start. Pearson got the team off to an amazing start by exiting the swim, his favourite leg, first.

By the time the race had got down to James Edwards on the anchor leg an exciting sprint ensued down the finish straight against the team from Southland. Edwards' running speed saw him catch and pass the Southland competitor just metres before the line.

Warriner was thrilled with the way they competed.

"I've been grooming a Northland team for just under a year now and today the boys really stepped up and made the selectors aware of the work they've done over the winter.

"It's a testament to the work they've put in that Triathlon New Zealand officials were asking questions about these boys after the race."

Edwards also competed in the junior individual race on Saturday morning.

Racing against some very tough opposition, with some of the boys two years older, he still managed to finish fifth overall.

Another of Warriner's charges, Palmerston North's Jaimee Leader, won the female race. Another team made up from Warriner's training group from around the country won in the Open Women's division.

Warriner expressed her thanks to The Oxford Trust, Whangarei Triathlon Club and Triathlon New Zealand for their support in preparing the athletes.