Sarah Groff
Encyclopedia
Sarah Groff is an American athlete who competes in triathlon
. She will represent the United States in triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics
after a qualifying
seventh place finish at the World Championship Series race in London. Groff is the winner of the 2007 ITU Aquathlon World Championships
.
. After spending a year in Valencia, Spain, Groff went on to attend Middlebury College
where she was a member of the swim team and competed in middle distance and distance freestyle
events. Groff was named to the All-NESCAC
and All-American teams for her accomplishments.
After graduating, Groff found it difficult to choose between swimming and running for her future athletic pursuits. After having some success in some amateur triathlon competitions she decided to pursue the sport of triathlon further.
(ITU) racing in 2005, competing in various World Cup and Pan American Cup races. In 2007, Groff had her first notable finish, winning the 2007 ITU Aquathlon World Championships. That same year she placed 4th at the ITU World Cup race in Edmonton
and was a member of the runner-up USA squad at the ITU World Team Championship. The following year, with coach Siri Lindley, she placed 2nd at the 2008 World Cup race in Huatulco
and placed 7th at the ITU World Championship
in Vancouver
. At the first 2008 USA Triathlon Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa
, Groff placed third, and at the end of the year she finished as the top American woman and 4th overall in the ITU World Cup season series
.
In 2009, Groff had three top 10 finishes in ITU racing, including 9th place finishes in the newly revamped World Championship Series
(WCS) events in Madrid
and Washington, D.C.
She was the 2nd ranking American woman in the WCS series. In 2010, she joined up with coach Darren Smith and would go on to take 12th at London
, 10th at Kitzbühel
and 8th at Hamburg
in WCS racing events. She also took 2nd at the USA Triathlon Elite Championship and 5th at the US Open Toyota Cup finale in Dallas.
For 2011, Groff was third at the 2011 WCS
race in Kitzbühel, achieving the first-ever podium finish for a U.S. woman. A month later, she would place 7th in London, a designated World Qualification Event for the 2012 Olympics, putting her on the American Olympic team with second place finisher Gwen Jorgensen
. Her performances for the entire 2011 WCS series earned her an overall third place finish in the World Championships Series standings, the best showing by an American triathlete in the three year history of the series.
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
. She will represent the United States in triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics
The Triathlon competitions at the 2012 Summer Olympics, in London, are scheduled to be held in Hyde Park. The women's is scheduled for Saturday 4 August and the men's for Tuesday 7 August. A total of 110 athletes, 55 men and 55 women, are expected to take part...
after a qualifying
Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Qualification
After a few places allocated to championships, the bulk of places are awarded on the basis of world rankings as at 31st May 2012. After 8 NOCs have qualified 3 athletes for an event, other NOCs are limited to 2 athletes for that event.-Qualification timeline:...
seventh place finish at the World Championship Series race in London. Groff is the winner of the 2007 ITU Aquathlon World Championships
ITU Aquathlon World Championships
The ITU Aquathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1998, typically a few days preceding and in the same location as the ITU Triathlon World Championships, however since 2007 the championships have been held as totally separate events in different locations...
.
Athletic career
Groff competed in cross country and swimming in high school at Cooperstown High School and Deerfield AcademyDeerfield Academy
Deerfield Academy is an independent, coeducational boarding school in Deerfield, Massachusetts, United States. It is a four-year college-preparatory school with approximately 600 students and about 100 faculty, all of whom live on or near campus....
. After spending a year in Valencia, Spain, Groff went on to attend Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
where she was a member of the swim team and competed in middle distance and distance freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
events. Groff was named to the All-NESCAC
New England Small College Athletic Conference
The New England Small College Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III athletic conference, consisting of eleven highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities located in New England and New York...
and All-American teams for her accomplishments.
After graduating, Groff found it difficult to choose between swimming and running for her future athletic pursuits. After having some success in some amateur triathlon competitions she decided to pursue the sport of triathlon further.
ITU competition
Groff began her International Triathlon UnionInternational Triathlon Union
The International Triathlon Union or ITU is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations...
(ITU) racing in 2005, competing in various World Cup and Pan American Cup races. In 2007, Groff had her first notable finish, winning the 2007 ITU Aquathlon World Championships. That same year she placed 4th at the ITU World Cup race in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
and was a member of the runner-up USA squad at the ITU World Team Championship. The following year, with coach Siri Lindley, she placed 2nd at the 2008 World Cup race in Huatulco
Huatulco
Huatulco , centered on the town of La Crucecita, is a tourist development in Mexico. It is located on the Pacific coast in the state of Oaxaca. Huatulco's tourism industry is centered on its nine bays thus the name Bahias de Huatulco but has since been unofficially shortened to simply Huatulco...
and placed 7th at the ITU World Championship
2008 ITU Triathlon World Championships
The 2008 ITU Triathlon World Championships were held in Vancouver, Canada from June 5 to June 8, 2008.-Medal summary:-References:*...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. At the first 2008 USA Triathlon Olympic Trials in Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, Groff placed third, and at the end of the year she finished as the top American woman and 4th overall in the ITU World Cup season series
2008 ITU Triathlon World Cup
The 2008 ITU Triathlon World Cup was a series of triathlon races organised by the International Triathlon Union for elite-level triathletes. There were twelve races held in twelve countries, each held over a distance of 1500 m swim, 40 km cycle, 10 km run...
.
In 2009, Groff had three top 10 finishes in ITU racing, including 9th place finishes in the newly revamped World Championship Series
2009 ITU Triathlon World Championships
The Dextro Energy Triathlon – ITU World Championship Series 2009 is a series of seven World Championship Triathlon Events leading to a Grand Final being held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in September 2009...
(WCS) events in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
She was the 2nd ranking American woman in the WCS series. In 2010, she joined up with coach Darren Smith and would go on to take 12th at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 10th at Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel
-Demographic evolution:-Personalities:*Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre , entomologist and botanist*Alfons Walde , expressionist painter and architect*Peter Aufschnaiter , mountaineer and geographer...
and 8th at Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
in WCS racing events. She also took 2nd at the USA Triathlon Elite Championship and 5th at the US Open Toyota Cup finale in Dallas.
For 2011, Groff was third at the 2011 WCS
2011 ITU Triathlon World Championships
The Dextro Energy Triathlon – ITU World Championship Series 2011 was a series of six World Championship Triathlon events leading to a Grand Final held in Beijing, China in September 2011...
race in Kitzbühel, achieving the first-ever podium finish for a U.S. woman. A month later, she would place 7th in London, a designated World Qualification Event for the 2012 Olympics, putting her on the American Olympic team with second place finisher Gwen Jorgensen
Gwen Jorgensen
Gwen Rosemary Jorgensen is a professional American triathlete and a member of the 2012 Olympic Team.It was not until 2010 that Gwen Jorgensen turned to triathlon...
. Her performances for the entire 2011 WCS series earned her an overall third place finish in the World Championships Series standings, the best showing by an American triathlete in the three year history of the series.