U.S. Cyclist Kristen Faulkner Wasn’t Supposed to Be in Paris. Now She’s a Gold Medalist

Team USA cyclist Kristen Faulkner secured the gold in the women’s road race Sunday—though her participation in the race almost didn’t happen. 

The 31-year-old wrapped up the 158-km race with a time of 3:49:23 after charging down the final stretch, launching a counterattack, and riding away from the top three riders in the race. “I knew I had to attack them as soon as we caught them. I knew they were sprinters. But I knew they didn’t want to work together – they were [from] three different countries. I knew if I got a small gap they would have to race for second,” Faulkner said after the race.

The victory was a shock to many, especially since Faulkner was a late addition to the team. USA Cycling had secured two spots in the women’s road cycling events, for Taylor Knibb and Chloé Dygert. But in early July, Knibb resigned from the road race to focus on the triathlon, opening the door for Faulkner to compete. (Dygert crashed on the first turn of the climb on the Cote de la Butte Montmartre with just 45 km left in the race and finished in 15th place.) 

It’s the first win for the U.S. in this event in four decades and marks just the second time Team USA has earned gold in the women’s road race. Connie Carpenter-Phinney took home gold in 1984. 

Faulkner, an Alaska native, is a late bloomer in the sport. In fact, she did not start cycling until 2016, but has displayed dominance in the sport through her three Grand Tour stages in the last two years, according to USA Cycling. “This is a dream come true. I’m still looking at that finish line sign wondering how my name got there,” Faulkner said after the race. 

The Netherlands’ Marianne Vos won silver and Lotte Kopecky of Belgium won bronze in the event.