KEY POINTS:
Wanaka's Nicky Samuels will run her first international triathlon this season at this weekend's Oceania championships on Queensland's Gold Coast.
Samuels has dominated the early rounds of the national sprint series, and her anticipated battle with Australian Olympic Games bronze medallist Emma Moffat is receiving top billing across the Tasman.
With selection spots on the line for September's world championships on the same course, the Gold Coast event has drawn huge interest.