Triathlon: Samuels' Glasgow Games ticket still waiting to become official

Nicky Samuels. Photo / Greg Bowker

Nicky Samuels isn't heading for Glasgow, just yet.

The Wanaka triathlete has been nominated to the New Zealand Olympic Committee after a review process to overturn her initial naming as a reserve only for the Commonwealth Games team later this year.

If she is successful it will boost New Zealand's team to six. Andrea Hewitt, Kate McIlroy, Ryan Sissons, Tom Davidson and Tony Dodds were named in the team on April 17. The NZOC is expected to make its decision next week.

"It isn't just a rubber stamping," Triathlon New Zealand high performance director Graeme Maw said yesterday. "We didn't have any issues with the initial nominations but now it goes through that process, hence the wording that she's been nominated rather than selected."

Selectors Maw, coach Greg Fraine, former Olympian Evelyn Williamson and Lynley Brown left Samuels out but Maw respects the appeal process and has no issues with the outcome.

The selectors met the review panel - which hasn't been named but is a mix of independents and triathlon people - and Samuels. The selectors were asked to revisit 2012 Olympian Samuels' case for inclusion. Having done so, they have concluded she has the capability of producing a top-six finish.

If Samuels does get the tick to go to Glasgow, Maw hopes it won't result in a feeling of extra onus on her to justify why she should be there.

"I certainly hope not," he said. "It comes back to respecting the right for appeal process.

"Our job is to prepare the team and hope all our athletes are absolutely committed to doing the best they possibly can.

"Outside that, there can't be any additional pressure."

As for Samuels, she said she "knew in my heart that my results were good enough to be in the team so although it took a bit longer to get to the bottom of this it is the right decision so I'm happy with the outcome".

Triathlon New Zealand has mapped out their programme for the athletes in preparation for Glasgow.

Next Saturday, Hewitt and Sam-uels will compete in the London round of the world series; on June 29, McIlroy - hopefully over a hip injury which forced her out of the Yokohama world series event last weekend at the 11th hour - Samuels, Sissons, Dodds and Davison will contest the Chicago leg of the series; and on July 12, all six will take part in the Hamburg world series event.

That's against a background which has the leading Commonwealth athletes stepping their game up as Glasgow looms.

"We're very aware of it, there's not a lot of reminding needed," Maw quipped.

Samuels is 30th on the world series rankings, nine spots behind Hewitt and four ahead of McIlroy.

Both individual events in Glasgow are on July 24, with the mixed team relay two days later.