Triathlon: Carter's cunning plan for Olympic buildup

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

The world's No 1 triathlete Hamish Carter wants to put on his own triathlon in clean waters in the final dash to the Olympics.

The Kiwi medal hope is planning to invite some of the world's best to his own race around Auckland's waterfront, now that the last World Cup before the Games has been scrapped.

Dirty water has forced organisers to cancel the World Cup in Brisbane in the first week of September - the final shakedown for athletes going to the Olympics. Pollution levels in the Brisbane River were considered too high a risk.

Carter, who leaves today for altitude training in Europe, said he was disappointed the Brisbane event had been canned, but it may be a blessing in disguise.

"It's unfortunate because it's a really good time to race," he said. "So I'll have to do something else. I'm probably better off staying at home until the last minute, so I'll get a few training partners to come over.

"We'll race along the waterfront on a Sunday morning when there's no traffic. It won't cost anything, because we'll just make it up ourselves."

The Kiwi Olympic triathletes were to have spent the final week before the Games on the Gold Coast, after the World Cup. Now Carter and Evelyn Williamson will return home to get ready at low altitude.

The New Zealand Olympic team will spend seven weeks at their usual high altitude camp in St Moritz starting next week. On the way there, Carter and fellow Olympian Craig Watson will turn out in the World Cup in Toronto this weekend.