TRIATHLON - Warriner aims above NZ's dog-eat-dog Games rivalry

Being ranked No.2 in the world hasn't counted for much as Northlander Sam Warriner prepares for her Olympic triathlon trial in Beijing on Sunday, sports editor TIM EVES reports.
Just as well Sam Warriner has become accustomed to walking around with a bull's-eye on her back.
Being the reigning national champion two years on the trot does that.
But never before has her status as the ruling matriarch in the hotly contested world of New Zealand triathlon come under such close scrutiny. To the point where Warriner has been forced to take some extreme measures to prepare for Sunday's critical world cup race in Beijing.
The race, the 12th and final round of the world cup circuit, is essentially a test event for the Olympics, both for the course and the New Zealand contingent angling for one of six potential spots on the start line.
The endurance event doubles as the first official selection race for Triathlon NZ, an opportunity for the 10 Kiwis entered to have their name put before the NZ Olympic Committee for rubber-stamping.
The equation facing the Olympic hopefuls appears simple: the first man or woman over the line will be automatically nominated provided they finish in the top 16 overall.
Failing that, things get complicated very quickly, which is why Warriner has adopted a take-no-prisoners approach to her lead-up.
The decision from Triathlon NZ to house all the elite athletes at one venue in Japan for the last 10 days tossed all the candidates into the same melting pot. They have all been painted as rivals out to destroy each other in the hunt for an Olympic Games blazer next year.
The Kiwi women's race-within-a-race is intriguing, with Warriner, Debbie Tanner, Andrea Hewitt and Nicky Samuels vying for berths.
Although the prospect of a second Olympics appearance is ever-present, Warriner insists she will simply be concentrating on the race.
"I'm not even thinking about the other New Zealanders," Warriner said. "I've got my sights set higher. I really want to come home with one more win under my belt," she said. Warriner has already won twice on the circuit this season.
Triathlon NZ high performance director Stephen Farrell does not expect all the available spots to be designated this weekend but is confident a couple will.
"We hope to have at least two athletes (of the potential six) qualified," Farrell said. "This is without question the biggest race of the year for most of our athletes. A possible place in Beijing next year is the ultimate carrot."
But the atmosphere in camp has put all the athletes on edge as much as the prospect of the race itself. The New Zealand team have opted for separate training times to avoid possible conflict and the selectors are not backing away from their decision to force the athletes to race each other as much as race the other competitors.
"Samantha Warriner, Debbie Tanner, Andrea Hewitt, and Nicky Samuels would probably be guaranteed inclusion in any other national Olympic team except New Zealand's. But there are no selection guarantees in our team with those athletes ranked 2nd, 5th, 12th and 29th respectively," Farrell said.
There is a second selection race is the Mooloolaba World Cup across in Queensland in March for any New Zealand athletes who do not manage qualification on Sunday.