Champion Kiwi marvels Joanna Lawn and Samantha Warriner will take on the best in the Asia Pacific Championship at Ironman 70.3 Auckland in three weeks.
 Sam Warriner |
 Jo Lawn |
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| (Photos: Ironman 70.3 Auckland; click to enlarge) | ||
The experienced pair today confirmed their starts for the continental championship that boasts a $90,000 prize purse, after missing the inaugural event on the Auckland waterfront in 2013.
They both hold legendary status on the New Zealand triathlon scene, with Lawn winning Ironman New Zealand a record seven times while former Olympic distance world No. 1 Warriner took out Ironman New Zealand three years ago.
While Lawn, a born and bred Aucklander, has won triathlon races around the globe in a stellar career spanning nearly 15 years, this will be the first time she has ever raced in her home city.
"My father and my mother live basically on the course and we live so close to it but I've never raced a triathlon in Auckland," Lawn said. "And I've never ever been over the Harbour Bridge except in a car.
"How awesome is that going to be. I am scared of heights so I am not sure what it will be like but I am sure it will be spectacular and I will definitely take in the view."
Lawn has focussed only on Ironman 70.3 racing this year, putting the full Ironman distance to one side.
"It (Ironman) takes so much out of you. You have to put in so much from everyone involved just for that one day and if something goes wrong, then you have to wait so long to try again.
"With 70.3 you can race two or three in a row. If something goes wrong, you can just say ok and race one next week or the week after."
Lawn, who turned 40 last week, enjoyed a solid 2013 season with a second placing at St Croix, third at Florida, fourth at New Orleans and 15th at the world championship in Las Vegas, where she has twice finished in the top five.
She will warm up for Auckland at the national long distance championships in Mt Maunganui next weekend.
Joining her is Warriner, 42, who has enjoyed an equally outstanding career initially at the standard distance including the Athens and Beijing Olympics, a world championship medal, seven World Cup wins and the overall World Cup crown in 2008. Her move to endurance racing met with equal success including a raft of wins at home, Australia and USA in particular, along with her breakthrough victory at Ironman New Zealand in 2011.
She had time out for the birth of daughter Lola in 2012 and mixed motherhood with success in winning Ironman 70.3 Cairns in 2013.
Warriner she is determined to be on the start line despite battling a hamstring injury, one of the first significant injuries of her long career.
"I have missed out on racing at home a few times so to compete in the 70.3 in Auckland is very special and nothing will stop me," Warriner said. "To be able to race in front of friends and family makes this injury all the more frustrating.
"I have not run for six weeks now but on the plus side, my swimming and biking have come up well. I will be going in with no real expectations accordingly and hoping for the best."
Warriner will use the race to kickstart her 2014 season, where she plans to compete in non-drafting standard distance and Ironman 70.3 races around Asia Pacific, as well as spending more time on the burgeoning coaching business she runs with her husband Stephen.
The dynamic Kiwi pairing will take on a superb field including defending champion Annabel Luxford (AUS), who was also third in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship; Scotland's Catriona Morrison who is a four-time duathlon world champion and multi-Ironman winner; Japan's Kyomi Niwata, the only triple Olympian in triathlon and Ironman Australia champion Rebecca Hoschke.
The women's professional field is: Annabel Luxford (AUS), Catriona Morrison (SCO), Hannah Lawrence (NZL), Jo Lawn (NZL), Kiyomi Niwata (JPN), Kristy Hallett (AUS), Kym Jaenke (AUS), Matilda Raynolds (AUS), Melanie Burke (NZL), Michelle Bremer (NZL), Michelle Wu (AUS), Rebecca Hoschke (AUS), Sabrina Mohn (SUI), Sam Warriner (NZL).
The men's field will be released on Friday.
