Sam Warriner believes she is lucky to be alive after being knocked off her bike on Tuesday during a training ride in Simi Valley, near Los Angeles.

Warriner was cycling with another athlete when the door of a parked car opened suddenly, knocking both riders off their bikes.

Her training partner went straight into the door, and her bike took most of the impact, but Warriner was knocked off her cycle into the line of traffic.

Warriner said from her training camp base at Simi Valley: “I’m pretty upset and I’m in a lot of pain, but I’m okay.

“Someone had been sitting there in their car for ages, when they opened the door without looking.

“My bike was snapped into pieces and written off ... that could [have] been me.”

Warriner was rushed to hospital and surfaced with a lot of swelling on her left side and shoulder, plenty of road rash, bruised kidneys and bruised or possibly fractured ribs, which cannot be diagnosed properly until the swelling has reduced.

The accident comes at a crucial and busy time for Warriner.

It happened a week and a half out from her third ITU World Championship Triathlon Series race in Washington DC.

Warriner is currently the fifth-ranked athlete competing in the seven-race series, after finishing eighth at Tongyeong in South Korea and seventh at Madrid, where she had started to find great form on the bike and run.

Following the third leg of the series, on June 21 in Washington DC, is the ITU Elite Cup on June 27 and the ITU World Team Triathlon Championships on June 28.

Both races are at Des Moines in the US, where Warriner was scheduled to compete with the Kiwi contingent including Bevan Docherty, Kris Gemmell and Andrea Hewitt.

“It’s really disheartening because it’s my race season,” Warriner said.

“I’m here to train and I can’t even train at the moment - it’s up in the air as to when I can start again; it’s frustrating.”

Warriner has been based in the US for the past few months, training with her coach, two-time world champion Siri Lindley, reaping the benefits of specific tri-training.

While the accident has shaken Warriner, the hardy competitor has proven already this year she can overcome significant mishaps.

In April, Warriner was stung in the ankle by a stingray while swimming, with the barb missing her tendon by 4mm. A day later, she raced in the long distance race in California as preparation for the World Series.

A determined Warriner said she was hopeful her body would recover in time for her race on June 21.

Report by the Northland Northern Advocate, New Zealand

Sam Warriner tiene suerte de estar viva despus de caerse de su bicicleta el martes mientras entrenaba con la bicicleta en Simi Valley, cerca de Los ngeles.

Warriner estaba montando en bicicleta junto con otra atleta cuando la puerta de un automvil estacionado se abri de repente, golpeando a las dos atletas y tirndolas de sus bicicletas.

Su compaera de entrenamiento fue directa contra la puerta y su bicicleta se llev la mayor parte del impacto, pero Warriner se cay de la bicicleta en la carretera.

Warriner coment desde su centro de entrenamiento en Simi Valley: Estoy bastante disgustada y tengo mucho dolor, pero estoy bien.

Alguien llevaba mucho tiempo sentado en su coche, cuando abri la puerta sin mirar.

Mi bicicleta se rompi en pedazos y se destrozalgo que me poda haber pasado a m.

Warriner acudi rpidamente al hospital para tratarse los mltiples hinchazones en su costado izquierdo y en su hombro, la gran cantidad de rasguos, las contusiones en sus riones y las contusiones o posibles fracturas de costillas, las cuales no pueden ser diagnosticadas hasta que la disminuya la inflamacin.

El accidente se produce en un momento crucial para Warriner.

Ha tenido lugar a una semana y media de la tercera carrera de las Series de los campeonatos del Mundo ITU que tendr lugar en Washington DC.

Warriner est actualmente clasificada en quinta posicin, despus de terminar octava en Tongyeong, Corea del Sur y sptima en Madrid, donde empez a encontrar la forma en la bicicleta y en la carrera a pie.

Tras la tercera prueba de las series, el 21 de Junio en Washington DC, hay la Copa lite ITU el 27 de Junio y los Campeonatos del Mundo de Triatln por Equipos ITU el 28 de Junio.

Ambas carreras son en Des Moines, en los Estados Unidos, donde Warriner tena previsto participar con el equipo de Nueva Zelanda formado por Bevan Docherty, Kris Gemmell y Andrea Hewitt.

Es realmente desmoralizador porque es mi fase de competicin, dijo Warriner.

Estoy aqu para entrenar y en estos momentos no puedo hacerlo. Todava est en el aire cuando voy a volver a poder empezar; es frustrante.

Warriner ha estado durante los dos ltimos meses en Estados Unidos, entrenando con su entrenadora, la dos veces campeona del mundo Siri Lindley, aprovechando las ventajas del entrenamiento especfico de triatln.

Aunque el accidente ha debilitado a Warriner, la fuerte corredora ha demostrado ya este ao que puede superar contratiempos importantes. 

En Abril, le mordi una manta raya en el tobillo mientras nadaba, arrancndola 4mm de su tendn. Un da ms tarde particip en una prueba de larga distancia en california para preparar las Series Mundiales.

Una decidida Warriner se mostraba confiada en poderse recuperar a tiempo para correr el 21 de Junio.

Noticia del Northland Northern Advocate, Nueva Zelanda