Kiwis Strenghten Hold on Top 8 Place Despite Tanner Crash

New Zealand has strengthened its hold on a top 8 place in the Olympic women’s rankings despite Debbie Tanner being brought down in a crash in San Diego earlier today at the latest round of the ITU World Triathlon Series.

With the top 8 countries (in both men’s and women’s rankings) earning 3 starting spots in London, the New Zealanders went into San Diego looking to strengthen their position with time running out to the cut off at the end of May when the top 8 countries will be found in both men’s and women’s rankings.

Nicky Samuels raced against the odds for a hard earned 39th placing, coming just two weeks after enduring emergency surgery to remove her appendix while Debbie Tanner’s race was undone by a crash immediately in front of her on lap one of the bike.

“Kathy Tremblay and Lisa Mensink came down in front of me on a narrow corner and I came down too as there was nowhere to go,” said Tanner. “Once I knew nothing was broken I was keen to get back on and continue but I had broken my front wheel so was forced to withdraw. I am left with abrasions on both sides but nothing broken so as Pete (coach Peter Pfitzinger) said, it appears I am just getting everything thrown at me to test me mentally and physically at the moment, I am hugely disappointed at not being able to race and contribute to our points cause but it was something beyond my control.”

 

Tanner’s crash hasn’t however harmed New Zealand’s ranking, with the women maintaining their 7th ranking and extending ground on chasers Switzerland. The Swiss failed to get their third ranked athlete over the line, meaning they have just one chance left in Madrid to close the 401 point gap – effectively a top ten finish.