Faulkner Captures Second Gold Medal in Paris, Makes Olympic History in Cycling

Kristen Faulkner became the first U.S. woman and third woman in Olympic history to win gold medals in multiple disciplines at the same Olympics.

Kristen Faulkner - Olympic Gold / SW Pix/Velo

Kristen Faulkner Golden in Paris

Kristen Faulkner captured gold again as one of four American cyclists to lead Team USA to cycling's team pursuit gold medal. The golden team edged New Zealand by 4/10ths of a second in the women’s team pursuit finals. This amazing accomplishment came just three days after Faulkner stunned the world by winning the gold medal in the road race competition. With these victories, Faulkner became the first U.S. woman and third woman in Olympic history to win gold medals in multiple disciplines at the same Olympics. Her road race gold was the first by a U.S. woman in 40 years.

U.S. Women's Pursuit Gold / Andrew P. Scott, USA Today Sports

“I'm still pinching myself,” Faulkner said. “This still doesn't feel real. … I think I'll wake up in a week and it still won't feel real, so it's going to take a long time for this to sink in, it really is. Originally my goal was to make the Olympics and then my goal was to take home a medal and I've taken home two golds now, so it's way more than I ever expected or even dreamed of."

From Homer, Alaska to Venture Capital to Cycling

Kristen’s athletic pursuits did not start on a bike. She is from Homer, Alaska, a small fishing village known as the halibut fishing capital of the world. Kristen attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, where she was a varsity runner, swimmer and rower over four years. She graduated from Harvard in 2016, where she was a varsity rower for two years. She currently holds Harvard's record for the fastest 2k erg time for lightweight women. She began cycling in New York City in 2016 while working as a venture capitalist for Threshold Ventures. Her love for cycling inspired her to leave the venture capital world to pursue cycling in 2017. In 2018, she moved to the Bay Area, and in 2020 began racing for Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank. Just six years after her career change, she has made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Faulkner Was Not Scheduled to Ride the Road Race

Faulkner won the U.S. road title last May, but did not qualify for the two-rider women’s U.S. Olympic trial and road team. She lost the U.S. individual time trial to triathlete Taylor Knibb. But after Knibb crashed three times during the Olympic time trial race, USA Cycling persuaded Knibb to give up her spot on the road team and focus on the mixed triathlon event. Faulkner was next to replace Knibb on the two-person team, bur was uncertain about riding in the event.  “I almost didn’t race the road race. We have a very strong medal chance in the team pursuit so I had to ask myself: am I medal-capable in the road race as well?  I made an agreement with my track coaches that I would only do the road race if I felt that I was medal-capable, and if at any point I got dropped from the front group and I was no longer in contention for a medal, I would pull out of the race and prepare for the team pursuit.”

Faulkner leads on the Côte De La Butte Montmartre / SW Pix/Velo

Faulkner made the decision to ride, and made history. In the span of 72-hours she claimed gold in the road race and gold in the pursuit – an amazing feat for the venture capitalist turned professional cyclist from Homer Alaska.  She won’t get much rest, as she is hitting the road for the Tour de France Femmes, which begins on Monday.