Triathlon: Samuels' shock brings rhythm

Nicky Samuels had a heart problem. Photo / Getty Images

A heart problem has disrupted Nicky Samuels' season, heading into triathlon's Olympic qualification event last night in London.

Samuels suffered a form of cardiac dysrhythmia. Her heartbeat showed signs of abnormal electrical activity, requiring an operation. The 28-year-old reportedly first noticed the problem during a race at Takapuna in March. She led more more than a minute after the bike leg but struck difficulties in the first kilometre of the run. She had to stop and walk for a period, allowing chasers to catch her. The run had let her down in the past, but not in such dramatic fashion.

Samuels went on to win the Escape from Alcatraz event around San Francisco Bay in early June. In her most recent world championship series race at Kitzbuehel, Austria, she finished 10th - the best of the Kiwis. She flew back to New Zealand three weeks ago for the minor surgery.

The operation can be quite simple, involving a zap to the heart to right its rhythm. The shock is applied either externally to the chest wall, or internally to the heart via implanted electrodes. It can take little more than half an hour, with the patient usually sedated or anaesthetised.

Triathlon New Zealand national coach Greg Fraine says she needed the operation to manage her heart rate: "There was a problem with a valve meaning she was losing control of her heartbeat to push the blood through.

Fraine says it added to the women's injury and illness woes last night.

"It was frustrating, a real bugger. Andrea [Hewitt] went in focused and confident but Kate [McIlroy] had a calf niggle, Debbie [Tanner] had a stomach virus and Nicky had contracted the flu."

Samuels is up against Hewitt, McIlroy and Tanner for one of the three spots New Zealand currently has available for women at the London Games.

Some triathlon sources see Samuels as a mandatory selection. She is good enough to compete with the best on occasion, despite a world ranking of 30th. Her strength on the bike (and in the swim) is also seen as an asset. Samuels could be used tactically to make or haul in breakaways on a flat London course or, as one insider surmised, "throw a grenade into the peloton" to dictate terms and force other countries to react.

Of the other New Zealanders competing last night, only Hewitt went in with consistent form. The 29-year-old was third in the world last year and eighth at Beijing. She showed her strength a fortnight ago with fourth behind the Australian Emmas - Moffatt, Jackson and Snowsill in Hamburg. Hewitt is still ranked third in the world and had only been out of the top four once in four world championship series races this season.

Tanner also represented New Zealand at the Beijing Olympics (finishing 10th) but has struggled this season at world championship series level (21st, Sydney; 22nd, Kitzbuehel; 25th, Hamburg; did-not-finish, Madrid).

McIlroy is ranked 14th in the world but has struggled of late with a calf muscle injury setting her running back a few weeks, leaving her lacking for pace. Before last night, McIlroy's best result this season had been sixth in Madrid.

The men's event is raced tonight involving six Kiwis. The best hope for Games qualification remains double Olympic medallist Bevan Docherty.