This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

Skip Navigation skip menu and banner
University of Wyoming

Sarah Konrad

◊ Two-sport U.S. Olympian


Wyoming Connections


Konrad was a research assistant in the Department of Geology and Geophysics from 1997 to 2001. She served as student representative to the Graduate School and was vice president of the Geology Club in 1998 and 1999.

Konrad is the only two-event national collegiate cycling champion in UW history.

College:
Arts and Sciences

Degree:
Ph.D. Geology

When Sarah Konrad became the first two-event national collegiate cycling champion in UW history, she not only blew by her Division II competition, but beat all the Division I racers as well at the 2001 National Collegiate Cycling Association national road championships. At age 32, the Ph.D. candidate was just gaining national recognition for cycling.

Konrad, a California native, followed up her victories by returning to training in another sport she had competed in previously, cross-country skiing. She hoped to become a member of the world championship Nordic skiing team in 2002, but was not selected because of her age. Realizing she was stronger in skate (freestyle) skiing than classic skiing, she decided to take up shooting and train for the biathlon event, which involves all skate skiing. She says training for the biathlon actually helped to improve her classic skiing.

Having completed her Ph.D. in geology with a specialty in glaciology in 2001, Konrad went on to win her first national Nordic skiing title in 2004 and compete in World Cup cross-country events in 2005.


In 2006, at age 39, the determined competitor became the first U.S. female Winter Olympian to qualify in two sports, cross-country skiing and biathlon, for one Winter Games. Konrad competed in six events, finishing 14th in both the women's cross-country and biathlon 4x5km relays. She also placed 32nd in both the women's cross-country and biathlon 30 km "free" events.

Before coming to the University of Wyoming, Konrad earned an A.B. in earth sciences from Dartmouth College in 1989 and an M.S. in geology from the University of Washington in 1997.

Click here to see Konrad's biography on the U.S. Olympic Web site.

Photo courtesy of UWyo magazine