Venture Capitalist. Harvard Rower. Kristen Faulkner Adds Olympic Cycling Champion to Résumé

Originally not expected to compete, the Alaska native was a replacement in the U.S. road team. But like much of her journey, it didn't take long for her to shine.

Kristen Faulkner gives Alaska a second straight gold medalist at the Summer Games after Lydia Jacoby's swimming victory in Tokyo. / David Gray/AFP

With a population of just under 6,000, the town of Homer, Alaska, takes pride in calling itself the halibut fishing capital of the world. On Sunday, it can now add "Home of Olympic Champion Kristen Faulkner" to its welcome sign after the 31-year-old hooked Olympic gold in road cycling.

The Harvard computer science graduate outlasted stiff competition in 2012 Olympic gold medalist Marianne Vos and 2023 world champion Lotte Kopecky to win the event in 03:59:23, traversing a 158-kilometer route that included historic sites like Versailles and Montmartre before ending in a scenic finish under the Eiffel Tower.

But even more spectacular is the fact that Faulkner wasn't even supposed to compete in the event. Faulkner was announced as a late replacement for time-trial cyclist and triathlete Taylor Knibb at the beginning of July. Less than a month later, Faulkner became the first American to win gold in road cycling since Team USA won the men and women's event at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

She also became just the third Alaskan-born Olympian ever to win gold at the Summer Games, a list that includes swimming star Lydia Jacoby's surprising triumph in the 100-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Games.

But Faulkner's inspiring journey to the Olympic podium didn't begin on the Alaskan frontier; rather, it kicked off as a hobby while she worked as a venture capitalist in New York. Within just a few years of suiting up, the former Harvard rower quit her job to turn professional, winning the women's road time trial at the 2023 Pan American Games and clinching two stages at the Giro d'Italia. But she had yet to compete in the Tour de France, instead leaving her Parisian debut for the biggest stage of all.

It wasn't always an easy road for Faulkner. Last summer, she was hit by car while training in California, leaving her with a fractured knee and eventually a blood clot in her lung. But she returned within months and eventually made the Team USA delegation for Paris.

And there might be more in store at the Olympics for Faulkner with track cycling's team pursuit starting Tuesday. From Alaskan harbors to Harvard crew, from a ride in Central Park to the Champs-Élysées, Faulkner now has a gold medal to show for her inspiring journey.