Sarah Ulmer facts for kids
Ulmer at the 2002 Women's Challenge
|
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer |
| Born | 14 March 1976 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Height | 167 cm (5 ft 5+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 64 kg (141 lb; 10.1 st) |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road and track |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Pursuiter / points race / time-trialist / road racer |
Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer is a famous cyclist from New Zealand. She was born on March 14, 1976. Sarah made history by being the first New Zealander to win an Olympic gold medal in cycling. She won it at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the 3km individual pursuit, setting a new world record!
After the 2004 Olympics, she held the top titles and records for this race at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships.
Contents
Sarah Ulmer's Story
Sarah was born in Auckland, New Zealand. She went to the Diocesan School for Girls there. Cycling runs in her family! Her grandfather, Ron Ulmer, was a track cyclist for New Zealand in the 1938 British Empire Games. Her dad, Gary, was also a national champion in road and track cycling.
Her Amazing Pursuit Races
The individual pursuit is a track cycling race where two riders start on opposite sides of the track and try to catch each other. The fastest time wins!
- In 1994, Sarah won the World Junior Championship. She also got second place at the Commonwealth Games in Canada.
- At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she finished seventh.
- She won a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
- At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, she came in fourth place, missing a bronze medal by a tiny bit!
- At the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, she won another gold medal and set a new Games record.
Breaking World Records
In May 2004, Sarah won the World Championship in Melbourne, Australia. She set a world record in qualifying for that race.
Then, at the 2004 Athens Olympics, she broke her own world record in qualifying with an amazing time. In the final race, she went even faster to win the gold medal! She lowered the world record by six seconds in total during the Olympics. The silver and bronze medalists also rode faster than the old world record.
In 2010, American cyclist Sarah Hammer broke Ulmer's world record. Later, in 2012, another New Zealander, Alison Shanks, set a new world championship record.
Other Cycling Achievements
Sarah Ulmer was also very good at points races. In these races, cyclists earn points for sprinting during the race. She won a junior world championship in this event. She also placed third and fourth at senior world championships.
After the 2004 Olympics, Sarah started focusing on road racing. This is where cyclists race on regular roads, often over long distances. She competed in road races in many countries, including the US, France, Australia, Belgium, and Germany.
Life After Racing
Sarah Ulmer trained at the velodrome (a special track for cycling) in Te Awamutu. Her hometown is Cambridge. Sarah has two daughters.
In 2005, she was given a special award, the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for her great achievements in cycling.
Sarah announced she was retiring from cycling on November 24, 2007. She went to the 2008 Olympics as a mentor, helping and guiding other athletes. In 2011, Sarah became an "ambassador" for the New Zealand Cycle Trail, which promotes cycling paths across New Zealand.
Major Wins
Here are some of Sarah Ulmer's biggest wins:
- 1994
- World Junior Championships (2km Pursuit)
- World Junior Championships (Points Race)
- 1995
- National Championships (Pursuit)
- Adelaide World Cup (Pursuit)
- Quito World Cup (Pursuit)
- Tokyo World Cup (Pursuit)
- 1998
- Commonwealth Games (Pursuit)
- National Championships (Points Race)
- 1999
- World Championships (Points Race) - Bronze Medal
- 2000
- Cali World Cup (Pursuit)
- 2001
- National Criterium Championships
- 2002
- National Championships (Pursuit)
- National Championships (Points Race)
- National Criterium Championships
- Sydney World Cup (Pursuit)
- Sydney World Cup (Scratch Race)
- Commonwealth Games (Pursuit)
- 2003
- Mexico World Cup (Pursuit)
- Sydney World Cup (Pursuit)
- National Championships (Pursuit)
- National Championships (Points Race)
- 2004
- World Championships (Pursuit)
- Mexico World Cup (Pursuit)
- Sydney World Cup (Pursuit)
- Olympic Games (Pursuit) - Gold Medal
- 2005
- National Road Race Championships
- National Time Trial Championships
- Oceania Games (Road Race)
- Oceania Games (Time Trial)
- 2006
- Overall Tour of New Zealand
- World Cup Road Race Wellington
Images for kids
-
2001 Women's Challenge circuit race
-
2002 Women's Challenge – time trial
-
2002 Women's Challenge – stage 7
See also
In Spanish: Sarah Ulmer para niños
