TRIATHLON - Warriner reigns supreme

Sam Warriner should stop worrying: Her path to the Beijing Olympics is becoming a downhill stroll.
The 36-year-old Northland triathlete won the Hungary ITU World Cup race yesterday, boosting her world ranking to No.2 and underlining her new status as one of the fastest runners in the sport.
Warriner blitzed the field on the final run leg, a tactic that is rapidly becoming her trademark, winning by a significant margin over Australian Emma Moffatt and fellow Kiwi Debbie Tanner.
It was her 10th podium finish and her fifth ITU title and yet another performance that has underscored her new partnership with Whangarei-based coach Murray Healey.
But even this race was just another step towards Warriner's big goal: An appearance at the Beijing Olympics next year.
At the moment that mission is going so well that Warriner's biggest concern is not so much based on how she might go in the official New Zealand Olympic triathlon trial in Beijing next month, but whether she will win a world title in Hamburg in between times.
Healey said her running form was just rewards for a gruelling off-season program that saw her running schedule almost doubled with taxing time trials added in for good measure. What is more, Healey believes Warriner has more speed to gain yet.
The puzzle now was to decide whether to tweak the training regime to try and scoop a world title, or to keep some powder dry for the all-important Olympic trial two weeks later.
"This is definitely a strong win going into the worlds and even better because she still held a little bit back, she has still got a little bit more," Healey said.
"Whether it is going to be a worlds result or a Beijing result is something we have to deal with now, but then again, as the NZ Olympic selectors are putting everything on Beijing, that will probably make the decision very easy," he said.
"But Sam is No.2 in the world now. Only Vanessa Fernandez has run faster than her this year, and I think a podium finish at the worlds is very much on the cards. Maybe even a title. We can't just walk away from that."
Yesterday Warriner simply proved too strong for the field the moment they hit the pavement, powering away for her second World Cup title this year.
"Overall this was a good race for me and importantly was another non-wetsuit swim in a lake which is perfect preparation for the worlds and Beijing," Warriner said. "I felt great coming into this race and that feeling stayed with me throughout, I felt great, really strong and like no-one could stay with me all day."
Warriner credits all aspects of her life and training as responsible for her current form.
"I am an athlete that needs balance in my life to race well. On a personal level the support I am receiving has never been better, my training is going so well and I recovered superbly from Salford," she said.
"I've enjoyed such great support from home too with so many emails and texts of encouragement from friends, family and sponsors.
"I'm doing everything with a smile on my face and the opposition know a smiling Sam is a dangerous proposition."