Multisport: Rapt Warriner sweeps all before her

New Zealand triathlete Samantha Warriner rounded off her preparation for next month's world championships in Japan with a win in the ninth round of the International Triathlon Union World Cup in Hamburg yesterday.

Warriner, who had finished second in the previous week's ITU event in Manchester, was rapt with her winning effort, particularly her 1.5km swim.

"I had a great swim and got out with the front pack and that just set me up really," she said. "I was just stoked with the swim because I always have trouble with it. For some reason, I managed to get myself in the pack at the front and keep out of danger at the first buoy, so that was awesome."

England-born Warriner, 34, was part of a five-strong cycle group, including world No 1 Annabel Luxford, of Australia, who broke clear early in the eight-lap, 40km course.

"On the bike there was a group of us all prepared to work, so we got one minute 30 seconds on the second group," she said.

Battling a technical course with some tight curves and a slippery, mainly cobblestoned surface, Warriner avoided a seventh-lap crash which tangled up Luxford, German Joelle Franzmann and Olympic bronze medallist Megali di Marco Messmer, of Italy.

Warriner and American Sheila Taormina went into the 10km run together, but the New Zealander wasted no time in pulling away, clocking 35m 15s for an overall winning time of 1h 57m 39s.

Fast-finishing Spaniard Ana Burgos, with a speedy 33m 48s 10km run, took second place in 1h 57m 53s, and Luxford recovered well for third in 1h 58m 14s.

The win moves Warriner from fifth to second on the ITU world rankings on 166 points, behind Luxford's 206 points but ahead of Australian Emma Snowsill on 144.

Warriner, who won her first ITU race in Ishigaki, Japan, in May, put her improved results down to good old-fashioned hard work - and staying injury-free.

"I'm just doing solid training - years of solid training, getting out there and racing, and just gradually improving."

Warriner, a Whangarei schoolteacher, returns to work this week before leaving at the end of August for the world championships in Gamagori, Japan, on September 11.

- NZPA