Whangarei triathlon coach Murray Healey cast his eye on the entry list and decided that, if everything goes to plan, Sam Warriner should win a World Cup race in South Korea this weekend. But if she doesn't, Healey won't be too concerned - because Warriner won the race that mattered inAuckland last week when she beat her own set of records in physiological tests. According to the results, Warriner is running quicker than she ever has, can tolerate physical extremes better and is swimming as fast as anyone on the circuit. She just needs to deliver that on the race course. Warriner will race in Korea on Sunday en route to Canada, where she will build up for a shot at the world title in Vancouver in June. The serious countdown to the Beijing Olympics will follow. But the race on Sunday looms as a huge opportunity for Warriner to collect another World Cup title as she winds into the next phase of her Olympic preparations. The base work has finished, the speed phase is now approaching fast. "She should be going for the win really. We are just a little bit more at the end of our base phase so have tapered down a bit for this race," Healey said. "So in theory Sam should be a little bit quicker because of the training schedule. "Sam is anxious to get to the next phase of her programme overseas and this is the first event on the way." The race also serves as an ideal Olympic preparation for leading New Zealand men's triathlon hopeful Bevan Docherty. World No 3 Docherty was cagey about his chances, admitting that racing speed was not his priority so early in the year. "Everything is focused on Beijing, at the moment I am all about training and hammering my body as hard as I can so my race fitness is not in the best shape. But training couldn't be going better," he said. Among the other favourites in the men's race are former world champion Tim Don of Great Britain, Jan Frodeno of Germany and four-time World Cup winner Rasmus Henning of Denmark. In the women's race, Warriner will contend with the likes of German Ricarda Lisk and 2006 junior world champion Kirsten Sweetland of Canada.
