Like most other sports, the road to the Olympic triathlon is filled with surprises which offer no hall passes for a great athletic history. Just ask Barb Lindquist, who had a two-year streak as ITU world ranked number one, who suffered two meltdowns in the year 2000 which kept her off the Sydney start line. Or ask Siri Lindley, who could not get her game together that same year, then went on to dominate the ITU World Cup circuit the next two years. Or ask Andy Potts, who continues a dominating career at long and short course events this year. But he got aced out by Jarrod Shoemaker, Matt Reed and Hunter Kemper for a ticket to Beijing in 2008.

On the plus side, dark horse, storybook Olympic success stories come to salve the national psyche torn by the defeats of beloved athletes. When Laura Bennett, a 2003 ITU World Championship silver medalist went down in Olympic qualifying flames in 2004, dark horse Susan Williams, coached by Siri Lindley, made the team and earned the only US triathlon Olympic medal to date. And despite his world championships in Juniors and Under 23 and his fleet feet, Shoemaker was a surprise winner of the first men's Olympic slot in 2008.

Cutting away from provincial, USA-centric case studies. The fact that Greg Bennett, Chris McCormack and the legendary Brad Beven, not to forget World Champions Emma Carney, Joanne King and Jackie Gallagher failed to make Australia's first Olympic triathlon squad underlines the basic point.

The Olympics is a very elusive quest and brook no quarter for reputations.

So Saturday in London, two more chapters in Olympic qualifying drama were written in American triathlon history. And on the baldest, most spectacular facts the results certainly could seem unbelievable. On the short odds side you had certified stars Laura Bennett -- four ITU World Championship medals, a $200,000 Hy-Vee win, a 4th at the 2008 Olympics overcoming career-threatening injuries in the lead-up -- and Sarah Haskins - 2008 ITU World Championship silver medalist, USAT elite champion, Life Time Fitness Series champ, virtually unbeaten in major North American races this year.

On the dark horse side, you had Gwen Jorgensen and, to a much less surprising degree, Sarah Groff - who had made a steady rise but was making an amazing comeback from athletic injury oblivion.

On the surface, Jorgensen was in London on a wing and a prayer. The 25-year-old from Milwaukee She had been a triathlete for less than two years. While Bennett and Haskins had contended at recent world championships, Jorgensen just started the high profile World Championship races this year and had managed only a DNF at Madrid and 27th at Hamburg a few weeks ago.

Groff was a different story. The 30-year-old had made a surprisingly close run at the 2008 US Olympic team and since then had gotten her act together with the help of coach Darren Smith and had many top-10 WCS finishes culminating with a confidence-inspiring, landmark, third-place podium finish at Kitzbuhel in June. Nothing remarkable there - except for the fact that she suffered a second fracture of her sacrum in November 2010 and in December and January she could neither run nor bike and could only walk with extreme pain.

Of course, if you dug deeper, Jorgensen was not such a longshot, either. In her swift apprenticeship at professional triathlon, recruited in early 2010 into USAT's fast track development program by no less an authority than Barb Lindquist, Jorgensen showed swift improvement and impressive, if minor league, results. In 2010, she scored 2nd at the PATCO Pan American Championship, 5th at Huatulco World Cup, 5th at USAT Elite Nationals, 3rd at the ITU Pan American Cup in San Francisco, and more 5th place finishes at Kelowna and Coteau-du-Lac Pan American Cup races.

This year she was 16th at the Mooloolaba World Cup, 5th at the Monterrey World Cup, and 3rd overall at the USAT Elite Sprint Championship.

But the key to recognizing her potential was how she went 27th at Hamburg. After fumbling with her wetsuit and losing 25 seconds, she missed the first pack on the bike and wasted much energy trying to bridge back to the leaders. Once her feet hit the ground, she unleashed a 5th-best 33: 44 run - just 26 seconds slower than two time WCS Champion Emma Moffatt, who won that day.

Turns out that time was no fluke, as Jorgensen was a Big Ten champion runner at the 5,000 meters with a PR of 15:52. She was also a varsity NCAA swimmer at Wisconsin and thus came to triathlon with an impeccable pedigree, and an aptitude of a fast learner of the skills of close quarters bike racing.

Finally, the London course was a great fit for both Jorgensen and Groff. The bike is flat and with no 180-degree corners so it almost always neutralizes the bike and thus is a runner's race - which especially hurts Sarah Haskins' well known bike skills.

Sure enough, when Jorgensen missed the first pack after an off form swim, her race might have been over - except that an overly tactical and defensive front pack let Jorgensen and Barbara Riveros-Diaz catch up and start the 10k perhaps 30 places down but virtually even on time. Both Jorgensen and Groff quickly sliced through the field - and past off-form Bennett and Haskins. For a while, they were running third and fourth - ahead of legends like Emma Snowsill and Emma Moffatt. Tired by her surge to the top, Groff faded gradually back to 7th, while Jorgensen Pac-Manned her way to a silver medal with a spectacular, race-best 33:43 10k, just seven seconds behind winner Helen Jenkins. Groff, while dropping places to Anja Dittmer and Snowsill and Andrea Hewitt, still ran an impressive, 6th-best 34:04, thus joining Jorgensen on the Olympic team.

Now a word from Americas's newest Olympians.

Gwen Jorgenson

Slowtwitch: Did you think you could do this?

Gwen Jorgensen: I came in knowing there are so many great US athletes and there are so many great people racing in London. I wanted to do my best. So this is a huge honor.

ST: How hard did you work in the second pack to bridge up to the lead pack?

Gwen: I was in there trying to work. We were all just kind of moving around.
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ST: Think you had a chance of making the podium and qualifying?

Gwen: I just think about the course in front of me. You never try to think ahead. You don't want to do that. You want to save energy - and always give it your all.

ST: Now you qualified for the Olympics, you have a whole year to work toward being a medalist. How does that change things?

Gwen: I think the USA has an awesome qualification process. Sarah Groff and I can now train and plan and peak for the Olympics. I think it is awesome that the USA did that.

ST: After today you have to think that medals are possible?

Gwen: I think we are all thinking medals. That is the ultimate goal, yeah.

ST: What did you learn from racing the Olympic course.

Gwen: I am going to sit down and think about it. There is a lot we can take away.

ST: What was your best WCS or World Cup race before this anywhere any time any place?

Gwen: I got 5th at two World Cups and at Madrid I didn’t finish and at Hamburg I got 27th.

ST: All those great US women with glittering resumes - you beat them with one 27th place WCS finish. How did you do that?

Gwen: You just go out there every day and learn new things. The USA athletes and coaches have just been great helping me and teaching me the ropes.

ST: Off the bike what place were you?

Gwen: I am not sure.

ST: The two packs merged into one. Did you come off top third, middle third or back third?

Gwen: Probably the back third. That's something I can work on.

ST: You had to pass 20-30 people. What were you thinking at the start of the run?

Gwen: I was right in the middle of the race and kind of shocked to be there.

ST: Were you aware of passing Sarah Haskins and Laura Bennett?

Gwen: Yeah we talked. Everyone was encouraging. Laura said "Go get 'm girl!" It is awesome to have the camaraderie. We've been getting to know one another as individuals and they are all very talented and hopefully I can learn from them.

ST: Tell us about your running background?

Gwen: I ran at the University of Wisconsin. I mostly did the 5k and my PR was 15:52.

ST: Were you daring to say to yourself "I can catch Helen Jenkins?"

Gwen: The goal is to always do your best and get up there. So I'm always looking up. I think everyone is always looking ahead.

ST: What does this mean to you personally?

Gwen: This is my second year of doing triathlon. I'm 25. My mother Nancy's birthday is today. So it is a great birthday present for her!

Sarah Groff

Slowtwitch: You made it!

Sarah Groff: I got seventh and made the Olympic team.. That's great, yes. But for a while I was running 3rd. That sounds a lot better.

ST: On lap 3, you were running right next to Gwen.
Sarah: Yeah. In 2008 I wasn't ready to go to the Olympics I think. But I was definitely ready this time around. And let’s be honest. The past three years have been really tough. I've been through a lot of ups and downs. It’s been a long road and I am really pleased to be back.

ST: This was a tough race with great competitors and people like Snowsill and Moffatt were out of contention. It seems as if you were careful to stay out of trouble on the bike and get to the right position to start the run so you wouldn't get pinched out coming into T2.

Sarah: Actually, I didn't have the best transition. I was probably mid pack out and that is why I had to go hard on the first kilometer. You just have to time it right. My coach Darren Smith and our squad say you only have so many bullets. And I used one of my bullets putting myself in the right place starting the run.

ST: When did you pass Sarah Haskins and Laura Bennett?

Sarah: In the first 500 meters, I think.

ST: Were you at all surprised by that?

Sarah: You know right now I am in the position to try to run with everybody regardless of who they are. So I was just looking up the road to see the group I needed to be in. So that didn’t really register . They were just people. I just went by a lot of people.

ST: How much rest and taper did you have for this race?

Sarah: This race is our chief focus of the year. Back in January and February I wasn't really able to run or bike. So, after that it has been a big build-back. We've done the work., I've been consistent, and I haven't been sick. So it is fortunate I've been able to build back the speed.

ST: Any tears at the end?

Sarah: No I think I used up my tears at Kitzbuhel.

ST: Compare Kitzbuhel to London as an athletic performance?

Sarah: Kitzbuhel was a surprise. But I've been working three years for this. London definitely took a big, big effort so it didn’t come as a complete shock.

ST: When you were running elbow to elbow with Gwen in 3rd and 4th, how did it feel? Were you thinking of the podium?

Sarah: I was just trying to get through the race and in the best position possible. I know Gwen is a great runner and if I could use her to get to a better finish, that is what was going through my mind.

ST: Obviously some people went by you as you dropped from third to 7th. Were you counting because you had to finish top 9 to secure the second US women's Olympic triathlon slot?

Sarah: I just knew people went by me and I was hurting a bit at that point. I was trying to maintain my position.

ST: Satchel Paige said "Don’t look back - somebody might be gaining on you." Did you anyway?

Sarah: I'm going to get in trouble, My coach is standing right here. But I did look back. I think that was a testament to how tired I was feeling at that point. I think people were a fair ways behind me, fortunately.

ST: Gwen was such a dark horse.

Sarah: Based on this course, everybody thought this would be a run race. When that second group bridged up, I knew Gwen was there. I knew she was one of the fastest runners in the sport. So I thought it would come down to the run and I had to be one of the two Americans in the Top 9. When she made her way up to our front group I was pretty sure she would be in the top 9.

ST: Look back at the injuries and tough times how big of a relief is this result?

Sarah: I couldn’t run back in January and I could not walk without pain. Anybody who's been in that position knows you have to be incredibly strong to look forward and not get too down and just do what you can do work wise. Fortunately I've been healthy every since. I have a great coach and a great squad who have helped me build back up.

ST: You got lots of support from people in your squad who aren't doing that well right now. Like Lisa Norden.

Sarah: We all have out ups and downs right? We all try to support each other. Lisa's been swimming. Her focus will be the second half of the year. I think she works pretty hard on the bike. Today she was focused on bridging that gap and it takes a lot out of your legs.

ST: Can you imagine walking into the Olympic stadium with the American flag?

Sarah: To be honest I don't think my coach is going to let me go to the opening ceremony. I'll tell you how closing ceremonies are. The biggest thing for me is just the opportunity to put on the USA uniform and represent my country. I'm not one of those kids who dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. But after I surprised myself coming kind of close in 2008, I started dreaming of the Olympics.

ST: When were you able to walk and run again?

Sarah: February. Without pain. I fractured my sacrum last March and then I broke it again at the end of November.

ST: Have you talked to your parents?

Sarah: They are probably still up now and won't be able to fall asleep. I am looking forward to seeing my boyfriend, Ben True who is an American distance runner from Hanover, New Hampshire. He raced at the Crystal Palace 5k this week and didn’t do very well. He had a bit of a disappointing race but he was here to support me.