THE WOMEN Laura Bennett They each have been on the podium at World


Triathlon Series events during the two-year Olympic qualification period, meaning they’ve matched up against the best triathletes in the world during the most competitive time of the four-year Olympic cycle. “There are only a limited number of women in the


world who can attest to having done that,” said Andy Schmitz, the high performance general manager for USA Triathlon. And all three have shown consistency over the past


two years and that they can race well under pressure. “The girls’ team is stacked,” Kemper said. “I think


that’ll be the talk [in London] — the American women.” What’s special about the women’s team is that no


matter how the race plays out in London — whether it becomes a runner’s race with a big group of cyclists heading into T2 or the swim-bikers take over and create a big break — the U.S. has athletes who can shine in either scenario. “The three of us have different strengths and


hopefully the race will unfold in a way that at least one of us can end up with a medal,” said Groff, who, along with Bennett, is among the best swimmers on the circuit and can ride with the strongest cyclists, meaning that if there’s a break out of the water both women are likely to be in it. And with Great Britain’s best hope for gold in the


women’s race, Helen Jenkins, being a strong swim- biker, a breakaway is possible — even likely — in London, especially since she will have a domestique


42 USA TRIATHLON SUMMER 2012 Sarah Groff Gwen Jorgensen


working for her. “There is definitely a chance that there will be a


group off the front on the bike. A one-lap swim course makes it harder to break up the field, but a smaller field than normal makes our chances a bit better,” said Groff of London’s course and its field of 55 athletes as opposed to the usual 65 or more. Fortunately for Groff and Bennett, both athletes


have proven they are capable of running their way on to a podium if all breakaway attempts in London are unsuccessful. Case in point: Groff outran Beijing bronze medalist and two-time world champion Emma Moffatt of Australia when she became the first American woman to ever get on the podium at a World Triathlon Series event by winning bronze in Kitzbühel, Austria, last year. And Bennett has a knack for earning medals at big races — she’s won one silver and three bronzes at world championships in her career. But if the Olympics come down to the run, the


American athlete who really benefits is Jorgensen. Jorgensen, who only became an elite in 2010, has


proven herself one of the premier runners in the sport in her short yet already wildly successful career. When she ran her way to silver at the World Triathlon


Series in London last year, she turned in the fastest run split of the day, 33:43, against what was arguably the most competitive field of women ever assembled. If Jorgensen can improve her biking skills before


London so that she can ensure a good transition, that immediately puts her with the leaders on the run


Photos by: Rich Cruse/ITU, Janos Schmidt/ITU, Paul Phillips/Competitive Image


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