Triathlon Canada names women's Olympic team

Groves is headed to Beijing with Murray and Tremblay

Last Updated: Monday, August 17, 2009 | 4:45 PM ET

CBC Sports

Carolyn Murray, crossing the finish line at a race in South Africa in May, is headed to Beijing. (Associated Press)

Triathlon Canada has named the three women who will compete in the Summer Olympics.

Carolyn Murray of St. Albert, Alta., and Montreal's Kathy Tremblay will join Vancouver’s Lauren Groves in Beijing.

Groves qualified for the Games based on race results. The other women were selected by Triathlon Canada officials, who made the announcement on Friday.

Triathlon Canada said the women would not be asked to collaborate in the Olympic race as their male counterparts have. (Colin Jenkins was named to the team solely to help Simon Whitfield get a medal. Jenkins will ride in front of Whitfield in the cycling leg, creating a slipstream for the contender.)

“On the men’s side, Whitfield is a clear medal contender so we put our resources behind supporting him,” Olympic coach Joel Filliol explained. “But the women’s side is different.”

There is no clear-cut medal contender among the women. Tremblay is ranked 14th on the World Cup circuit by the International Triathlon Union and Murray is 17th. Groves is ranked 46th.

Murray won her first career World Cup race in South Africa in May. Tremblay was fourth in that race, and also finished fifth in Japan in April.

Groves won a bronze medal at the Pan American Games last year and was fourth in the 2006 world championship.

Tremblay was the top Canadian in last Sunday's world championship in Vancouver by finishing 21st. Murray was 24th and Groves was 33rd.

Kirsten Sweetland, ranked 34th in World Cup rankings, will not compete in Beijing because of a foot injury.

Whitfield of Kingston, Ont., the 2000 Olympic gold medallist, Paul Tichelaar of Edmonton and Jenkins of Hamilton were named to the men's triathlon team Monday.

with files from Canadian Press

Internal Links

Men's Olympic triathlon team named
Sweetland expected to miss Olympics with foot injury
Send a message to the Canadian Olympic triathletes

Triathlon Headlines

Whitfield's triathlon silver a team effort: Simon Whitfield of Victoria grabbed the headlines with his electrifying final kick to seize the silver medal in the men's triathlon, but the feat might not have been possible without a little help from his friends.
Canada's Whitfield takes silver in triathlon: Canada's Simon Whitfield captured the silver medal in the men's triathlon Tuesday at the Beijing Olympics, mounting a furious rally to briefly take the lead late in the race before being overtaken by Jan Frodeno of Germany.
Snowsill wins Australia's 1st triathlon gold: Emma Snowsill of Australia blew away the field in the women's triathlon on Monday in Beijing, capturing her country's first Olympic gold in the event.
Whitfield 5th at World Cup triathlon: Simon Whitfield comes on strong in running segement of Des Moines race
Iowa man dies while swimming at Hy-Vee Triathlon: An Iowa man died Sunday while participating in the Hy-Vee Triathlon in West Des Moines, Io., which was serving as one part of the U.S. Olympic trials.

Olympic Headlines

Olympic poll says Canadians happy with athletes, China and TV: When rower Krista Guloien led a contingent of 100 Canadian Olympians returning from Beijing down the escalator at Vancouver International Airport Monday she found a country more than satisfied with how the Summer Games turned out.
Canadian Olympic Committee thinking bigger for 2012: A satisfied Canadian Olympic Committee has started looking ahead to 2012 and London, England, targeting a top-12 finish after Canadian athletes met its goal of a top-16 standing in Beijing by placing 15th with 18 medals.
Olympics opened up China, IOC chief says: As he praised Beijing for the way the Summer Olympics were run, the head of the International Olympic Committee said his organization cannot force change on a sovereign state.
Olympic star Bolt capable of besting record: physicist: Norwegian physicist Hans Eriksen says Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt could have run much faster than his winning time of 9.69 seconds in the 100 metres at last month's Beijing Games.
Swedish wrestler wants Olympic medal back: The Swedish wrestler stripped of his bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics for protesting a penalty call during the medal ceremony filed an appeal Thursday with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.