Warriner and Lawn lineup for 25th Port of Tauranga Half Ironman

Warriner and Lawn lineup for 25th Port of Tauranga Half Ironman
24 Dec 2008

January’s 20th anniversary of the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman is shaping up as a classic battle between arguably the country’s two leading female triathletes.

World Series ITU champion Samantha Warriner steps up from Olympic racing to the Half Ironman to take on the six-time Ironman New Zealand champion, Joanna Lawn coming down in distance at Mt Maunganui on Saturday 10 January.

It marks an interesting move for Warriner, who plans to mix the Olympic distance racing with more half ironman events including a push to qualify for the 70.3 World Championship in 2009.

Lawn will use the race as a litmus test as she prepares to defend her title at Ironman New Zealand in March, where she is chasing her seventh straight victory.

The pair appear to be destined for a head-to-head battle for the major honours with 2008 champion Kate Bevilaqua (Australia) withdrawing this week as she has not sufficiently recovered from a broken shoulder blade suffered in an bike accident while training.
Warriner, 37, has enjoyed an excellent season with World Cup wins in South Korea and Mexico, a third place at the World Championships in Vancouver and two more world cup podium finishes. That gave her the world cup series in a consistent season when the Northland triathlete was only once off the podium.

She is not new to the longer form of triathlon, having won the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman in 2005.

“I’m keen to mix both distances in 2009,” Warriner said. “The new six-race World Cup series is exciting but I am also aiming at three half ironman races – this one plus two of the 70.3 series.

“I’d like to think I can win two world titles in 2009 – at the ITU World Championships and also the world 70.3 Championship.”

Warriner will get a real workout in the form of Lawn, who has been not only New Zealand’s leading endurance triathlete, but also one of the world’s best.

She has won the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman twice in 2006 and 2007, before being edged by Bevilaqua by just metres in 2008.

Lawn has finished in the top-10 at the Ironman World Championships five times in the last seven years, including finishing fourth on two occasions.

The Aucklander will not be peaking for the Port of Tauranga race which is more of a test on her progress towards Ironman New Zealand seven weeks later.

“I’ll always give it my best shot, that’s for sure,” Lawn said. “For me it’s a great race and a fantastic occasion. I’m not going to get any speed work done or tapering for the race. But
I will be giving it everything on the day.”