FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           Contact: Rick Scott 310.306.0375

15 October 2007                                     email: greatscottproductions@earthlink.net

She’s baaaaack!

Two-time World Champion Sarah Hammer returns to action in pursuit of Olympic gold after recovering from back injury

Having spent the summer recovering from a debilitating back injury that forced her to miss the Pan Am Games, two-time World Champion cyclist Sarah Hammer is back on track in her golden pursuit.  The 24-year-old put some racing kilometers into her legs last week (October 3-6) at the U.S. National Track Championships held at the ADT Center in Carson, California where she trains twice a week.

Hammer and coach Andy Sparks decided it would be sage to ease back into action, thus she sat out the individual pursuit.  Instead the Temecula, California resident competed in both the men’s and women’s team pursuit.  Using the men’s event early in the week as training, Hammer proved to be firing on all cylinders in the women’s team pursuit, a new event that will be held for the first time at the 2008 World Track Championships.  Teaming with national sprint and keirin champion Jennie Reed and newly crowned individual pursuit champion Dotsie Bausch, Hammer helped power the women over the three kilometers to a national championship in a world record time of 3:34.783. 

“It was so much fun to race with Jennie and Dotsie.  It was our first time (racing) together so we’re only going to get smoother and faster,” said an enthused Hammer after the race.  “It felt good to be racing again.  There was no pressure so I was able to just get out there and enjoy myself.  More importantly, the back gave me no problems and I’m very happy about that.”

With the track cycling season just getting underway, Hammer will next compete at the World Cup event in Sydney, Australia November 30^th through December 2^nd.  In March, she’ll be racing for a third consecutive World Championship title in the individual pursuit, but her primary goal remains Olympic gold in Beijing next August, where she is favored to become the first American woman to win a medal on the track since Rebecca Twigg medaled in 1984.  USA Cycling and the U.S. Olympic Committee are already working closely with Hammer to help her gear up for the Games.  Felt Bicycles is currently putting the finishing touches on a custom-designed track bike for Hammer.  Additionally, Hammer has signed with Rick Scott of Great Scott P.R.oductions for management and public relations representation with the aim of enhancing her profile ahead of the Games and capitalizing on opportunities after.  For more information about Hammer, please visit www.sarahhammer.us.