U.S. Olympic Triathlete Laura Bennett

Bennett's time has finally come. She attended the 2004 Olympic Games as an alternate. She was second runner-up for 2000 Olympic team after finishing fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Now as the top-ranked American female triathlete, she's ready to shine at the Olympic Games.

The Road to Beijing:
Bennett qualified for 2008 Olympic Team with third place overall finish at 2007 ITU Beijing World Cup. She began swimming competitively at age 12 and was a long distance runner in high school, winning the Florida High School Track Champion in the mile and 2-mile two years in a row. As a swimmer at Southern Methodist University, she was an eight-time All-American and member of the 1997 NCAA Champion 400 Medley Relay.

Her Advantage:
Bennett was the first to quality member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team when she came in third at the Beijing BG Triathlon World Cup in September 2007. She believes that qualifying for the Olympics so far in advance will give her an advantage because she was able to focus on her training, not racing, since she qualified.

Her Stats:
Full Name: Laura Marie Bennett
Hometown: North Palm Beach, Fla.
Resides: Boulder, Colo.
College: Southern Methodist University
Height: 5-9
Weight: 130
Birthdate: April 25, 1975
Birth Place: North Palm Beach, Fla.
Years Elite: 9
Final 2007 ITU Rank: 7
Final 2007 USAT Rank: 1