TRIATHLON: Sam sees Salford as step to Beijing

Now the countdown starts to get serious for Northland triathlete Sam Warriner.
A five-week training window that included a spell with the New Zealand elite team in France has enlivened Warriner for the Salford World Cup race on Sunday, but the focus remains on a coveted spot at the Beijing Olympics next year.
After some impressive early-season efforts in Canada and Japan, and a national title in Wellington in-between times, Warriner will line up as one of the favourites in Salford on Sunday in what she describes as one of her favourite world cup races.
But while keen to perform in front of family members who live nearby, Warriner's plan has not shifted from the original script that is written with a crescendo in Beijing in September included.
That Beijing race, one of the last world cup races of the season, doubles as the New Zealand Olympic trial where a top-five finish would all but guarantee her a place in the New Zealand team.
So a carefully mapped-out racing programme is almost becoming a sideshow to the overall objective, even though it now includes competing at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg.
Warriner was considering skipping the Hamburg event on August 30 in favour of a more controlled build-up to Beijing, but is now booked to try to score a world title as well.
The race in Hamburg is only two weeks before the race in Beijing on September 15 and leaves a narrow recovery window.
"I've been in the south of France with the Triathlon NZ squad preparing for the rest of the season with Worlds and the Olympic qualifier in mind. My main goal is obviously the Beijing World Cup in September," Warriner said.
"The races I'm doing at the moment I do not taper for, I just freshen up a few days out. This is because I'm basically using them as stepping stones towards the big one in September." After a win at Salford last year and a second in 2005, Warriner will be keyed up for a big effort on Sunday. Her efforts in winning a world cup event in Vancouver, Canada will mean she will be a marked athlete.
Warriner has carved off substantial chunks from her run times to add to an improved cycling technique in training, and now hopes to nail down the swim leg to nail down her preparations.
But several high-profile rivals lining up on Sunday include world champion Vanessa Fernandez, Briton Andrea Whitcombe and fellow Kiwi Debbie Tanner.
"It's going to be a hard race as the field is very strong. There are going to be large numbers racing so the swim could be a bit messy but I'm ready for it. I'm feeling good and just looking forward to swimming well, cycling hard, and running fast," she said.
"I really enjoy the course, and the atmosphere (at Salford) is the best on the world circuit, I think. I always get a lot of support from friends and family.
"But Sunday is just another race in the lead-up to Beijing, if the cards fall my way I've done everything possible over the past five weeks to capitalise on the hand that's dealt to me. I'm going out hard on the swim, relax into my stroke and focus on No.1."