Laura Bennett
USAT National Team Member
2008 Olympic Team Qualifier
2007 USAT Female Triathlete of the Year
2006 USAT Female Triathlete of the Year
2004 Olympic Team Alternate
2003 USAT Elite National Champion
2003 USOC Triathlete of the Year
Full Name: Laura Marie Bennett
Hometown: North Palm Beach, Fla.
Resides: Boulder, Colo.
College: Southern Methodist University
Height: 5-9
Weight: 130
Birthdate: 4/25/75
Birth Place: North Palm Beach, Fla.
Years Elite: 9
Final 2007 ITU Rank: 7
Final 2007 USAT Rank: 1
Web site: http://www.team-bennett.com/
Competitor Radio Interview: Laura Bennett
Laura's USOC Blog
Find out More about Laura Bennett in this Extensive Profile and Q&A
Personal: Laura Marie (Reback) Bennett... Born April 25, 1975 in North Palm Beach, Fla... Parents, Paul and Sharon, reside in North Palm Beach... Was introduced to the sport by her family... Paul is a top age group triathlete while Sharon has participated in a handful of half-marathons... Older brothers, David and John, also compete in triathlon... Laura married top Australian triathlete Greg Bennett in November of 2004... Husband, Greg, finished fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games triathlon... Laura earned a B.A. in finance from Southern Methodist University in 1997... Was a member of the SMU 3.0 Club from 1994-97 and a member of the Southwest Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll from 1994-96... Favorite food is stone crabs, but will eat almost anything.
Elite Triathlon Career: Qualified for 2008 Olympic Team with third place overall finish at 2007 ITU Beijing World Cup... Four-time medalist at ITU World Championships (2003-2005, 2007)... Won prestigious title at Hy-Vee Triathlon ITU Des Moines World Cup in 2007... Qualified for 2007 Pan Am Games but gave her spot to teammate Sara McLarty... Attended the 2004 Olympic Games as the team alternate... Finished third at the 2004 world championships, which was a U.S. Olympic qualifying race, but didn't get the slot because U.S. teammate Sheila Taormina won the world championship... Qualified for the 2004 world championship team as the second-ranked U.S. female triathlete... Was the top U.S. finisher, second overall, at the 2003 triathlon world championship... Won her first U.S. elite national title at the Treasure Island Triathlon in 2003... Qualified for the 2003 world championship team by being ranked third in the world by the cutoff date... Finished 13th overall at the 2003 Bay to Breakers 12k running race in San Francisco... Placed fifth overall in the 2001 Kia Formula 1 Triathlon Series in Australia... Spends winters training and competing in Australia... Was second runner-up for 2000 Olympic team after finishing fourth at the U.S. Olympic Trials... Was part of the halftime celebration at a 1999 football game of alma mater, SMU (vs. Hawaii)... During the winter months of 1999, trained with two-time World Champion Michellie Jones at her home in Australia and raced in the St. George Formula One Series.
Amateur Triathlon Career: Participated in the IronKids Bread Triathlon Series... In 1997, after graduating from college, was the second U.S. amateur at the World Championship in Perth, Australia... In 1994, was voted the USA Triathlon and Triathlete Magazine Junior of the Year... In 1993, was a member of the USA Triathlon Junior National Team... Was second in the junior division at the Age Group National Championship at Leon's QEM Triathlon in Hammond, Ind... Finished 22nd at the Junior World Championship in Manchester, England.
Athletic Background: Was an eight-time All-American and member of the 1997 NCAA Champion 400 Medley Relay while swimming at SMU... Was the co-captain of the team her senior season (1996-97)... While swimming for the Mustangs, was on the team with six 1996 Olympians from six countries, including 1997 NCAA Swimmer of the Year Martina Moravcova (Slovakia)... While at Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Fla., earned All-America honors in 1993 in swimming... Was also the 1991 (So.) and 1992 (Jr.) Florida High School Track Champion in the mile and 2-mile... Team won the 1990 (So.) and 1992 (Jr.) High School Cross Country Championships... Began swimming competitively in sixth grade (age 12)... While growing up, enjoyed playing football with older brother.
