The 19-year-old from New York qualified for the London 2012 Olympics earlier this month when she finished seventh at the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series (WCS) event in London on the 2012 Olympic course in Hyde Park, which acted as the Olympic test event.

It marked her third top seven finish on the 2011 WCS circuit and moved her into sixth in the WCS rankings, which is particularly impressive given that Groff suffered a major injury last year when she fractured a bone in her lower back.

"I initially fractured my sacrum [a large triangular bone at the base of the spine] in March of last year when I was commuting by bike to a run workout and had a little bit of a crash," said Groff during the first in the 12 for 12 media teleconference series hosted by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

"I basically trained and raced with the fracture thinking that it would heal but found out in the end of November that I had fractured it again and I missed a lot of early season training in December, January and February.

"Months ago my brother, who watched me plug away at the sport for a while, told me that the injury was actually going to make me a better athlete.

"He was absolutely right.

"Coming back, I didn't have much margin for error and I had to do everything right.

"I had to do all the rehab right and I had to basically learn how to run again from scratch.

"It took a lot of patience and hard work and that focus is paying off in the results this year."

Groff (pictured, right, with Canada´s Paula Findlay and Britain's Helen Jenkins, left, on the podium after a recent competition) admitted that she was delighted to secure a spot at the London 2012 Olympics with her top ten finish at the ITU WCS event in London and glad to get the chance to compete on the course that will be used for the 2012 Olympics next year in the test event.

"I'm definitely excited to qualify for 2012 and it is great that I now have a year to prepare for the Games," said Groff.

"The swim is very difficult for athletes to get away so that will be tough.

"The bike course is flat and not terribly technical but there will be a lot of team tactics on that element because there is an opportunity to break away, especially in bad conditions, so that is something to look out for.

"The run is very fast on a flat course with tight turns so you have to be able to adjust to that but the chance to try it out means I know what I have in store."

Groff added that she is honoured to represent her country in the event and that a medal is also in the back of her mind.

"I think that representing the US alone at the Olympics will be amazing and I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that," she said.

"As for a medal, that's a totally different dream but the thought of trying to chase a medal next year is definitely there and I'm going to do everything that I can to be in that position."

The favourite for gold in the women's triathlon is Britain's Helen Jenkins after she claimed victory in the 2012 Olympic test event in front of a home crowd.

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