TRIATHLON - Warriner's time to count seconds

Sam Warriner will have eyes only for the clock on her relentless campaign to compete at the Beijing Olympics next year, but when the athletes line up for another round of the ITU World Cup on Sunday she needs to look over her shoulder.
Joining her at the start line of the Hungary ITU race is Nicki Samuels, one of her former students from her time as a teacher at Whangarei Girls' High School. And in the elite under-23 category is another up and coming women's competitor, Kelly Bruce, a schoolgirl from Maungaturoto.
They are the next generation keen to follow in Warriner's footsteps.
Samuels is in her first season on the world circuit and will race just her third ITU World Cup event in Hungary. But already Samuels has slipped into the top-20 rankings list, thanks mainly to a podium finish in Austria three weeks ago.
Now based in Wanaka, where she is being coached by John Hellemans, Samuels has made significant development this season.
Bruce has been in France training with the New Zealand elite team after being selected to the national under 23 squad preparing for the World Championships in Hamburg on September 2.
Sunday's race will be her first taste of competition at the elite level.
But Warriner will be the one expected to lead the charge on Sunday, along with her Kiwi rival Debbie Tanner, who are the only top-10 ranked athletes in the field.
It isn't just the result that concerns Warriner either. On Sunday it will be exactly two weeks since she raced in Salford, a recovery period that will be repeated for the all-important Olympic qualifying race in Beijing.
Warriner is racing for the World Championship in Hamburg and a fortnight later heads to Beijing.
"I'm feeling good but have found it a challenging two weeks in terms of training. It has been difficult balancing recovery and training. I knew I had to rest after Salford but at the same time I've been eager to get back to work with Hamburg and Beijing in mind," Warriner said.
"These two weeks which finish this Saturday have been all about simulating the two weeks between Worlds and Beijing in order to learn how my body responds for the actual event," she said.
"I would like to swim well and come out with the lead bunch. I'll be looking after my legs and focussing on hydration as fluids will be the key in both Hungary and Beijing, both are high humidity races. Seconds count now and I'm just looking to squeeze out a few more seconds on the way to Beijing."