Who is U.S. cyclist Kristen Faulkner, the winner of the women’s road race?

She quit her venture capitalist job in 2021 to pursue training full time. She won the 2024 U.S. Pro Road Race and only had three Grand Tour stage wins over the past two years, not nearly as many as her competitors that surrounded her at the end of the women’s race in Paris.

Even though she liked road cycling more and rides professionally for EF Education-Cannondale, it was track cycling that initially qualified her for the Olympics. USA Cycling invited her to Colorado Springs in 2023 to evaluate her potential for the team pursuit program. After that, she competed in a race in February 2024 with the team pursuit squad and was named to the track cycling team after that.

Attempting to qualify for one of the two road race positions available for Americans at the Paris Games, Faulkner just narrowly missed the cut when she lost to Knibb by 11 seconds at the U.S. Road Cycling Time Trial Championships. Knibb, a triathlete, shocked everyone when she won the race — just her second road cycling race of her professional career. 

Faulkner doesn’t just excel on the bike. She graduated from Harvard University in 2016 with a degree in computer science. She was a varsity rower for two years in college and currently holds Harvard’s record for the fastest 2k erg (indoor rowing machine) time for lightweight women.

In terms of her personal life, she grew up in Homer, Alaska, and is proud to be from the fishing town. She is also passionate about gender equality and supporting more women in technology and entrepreneurship.

Faulkner will have a chance to win a second medal at the Games when she hits the track on Tuesday August 6th at 11:30 a.m. ET, in the women’s team pursuit.