Kristen Faulkner
{{Short description|American racing cyclist (born 1992)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Kristen Faulkner
| image = 2024 Tour de France Femmes - 2e etappe Kristen Faulkner 2.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Faulkner in 2024
| fullname = Kristen Faulkner
| nickname = "Faulks"
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|12|18}}{{cite news |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/04/kristen-faulkner-cyclist-womens-road-race-gold-team-usa-2024-paris-olympics/74666031007/ |title=Who is Kristen Faulkner? Cyclist ends 40-year drought for U.S. women at 2024 Paris Olympics |first=Ehsan |last=Kassim |date=2024-08-04 |access-date=2024-08-07 |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806034151/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2024/08/04/kristen-faulkner-cyclist-womens-road-race-gold-team-usa-2024-paris-olympics/74666031007/ |url-status=live }}
| birth_place = Homer, Alaska, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = 5ft 6in
| weight =
| currentteam = {{UCI team code|EFC}}
| discipline = Road and Track
| role = Rider
| ridertype = Time-trialist (Road)
Team pursuit (Track)
| amateuryears1 = 2017–2018
| amateurteam1 = Century Road Club Association
Dave Jordan Racing
| amateuryears2 = 2019
| amateurteam2 = JLVelo
| amateuryears3 = 2019
| amateurteam3 = Revolution Racing p/b Jakroo
| proyears1 = 2020–2021
| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|TIB|2020}}{{cite web |title=Rider spotlight: Meet Kristen Faulkner |url=https://www.teamtibco-svb.com/single-post/2020/05/18/the-lockdown-lowdown-week-of-may-17-2020 |website=Team Tibco-Silicon Valley Bank |date=May 19, 2020 |accessdate=October 1, 2020 |archive-date=September 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928063914/https://www.teamtibco-svb.com/single-post/2020/05/18/the-lockdown-lowdown-week-of-may-17-2020 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=TIBCO-SVB renew contracts with core virtual Tour de France team |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tibco-svb-renew-contracts-with-core-virtual-tour-de-france-team/ |accessdate=October 1, 2020 |publisher=Cyclingnews.com |date=August 27, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807142016/https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tibco-svb-renew-contracts-with-core-virtual-tour-de-france-team/ |url-status=live }}
| proyears2 = 2022–2023
| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|BEX women|2022}}
| proyears3 = 2024–
| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|EFC}}
| majorwins = ;Road
: Olympic Games Road Race (2024)
:{{nowrap|National Road Race Championships (2024, 2025)}}
;Track
::Team pursuit (2024)
| show-medals = no
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}
{{MedalSport|Women's Road bicycle racing}}
{{MedalGold|2024 Paris|Road race}}
{{MedalSport | Women's Track cycling}}
{{MedalGold|2024 Paris|Team pursuit}}
{{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}}
{{MedalGold|2023 Santiago|Time trial}}
}}
Kristen Faulkner (born December 18, 1992) is an American racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's Continental Team {{UCI team code|EFC}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.uci.org/team-details/19581|title=EF Education - Cannondale|work=UCI.org|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|access-date=April 1, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://efprocycling.com/our-team/kristen-faulkner/ |title=Kristen Faulkner |website=efprocycling.com |access-date=2024-03-10 |archive-date=February 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229190819/https://efprocycling.com/our-team/kristen-faulkner/ |url-status=live }} She is the reigning USA National Road Race Champion{{cite web |url=https://my.raceresult.com/290132/#1_9312BD |title=2024 US Professional Road Race Championship - Sunday |website=my.raceresult.com |access-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525194128/https://my.raceresult.com/290132/#1_9312BD |url-status=live }} and won two gold medals in the women's individual road race and women's track cycling team pursuit at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Faulkner is the first American woman, and third female Olympian, in history to win two gold medals in two different disciplines (in her case, road cycling and track cycling) in the same Olympic Games.https://www.teamusa.com/news/2024/august/07/team-usa-is-golden-in-women-s-team-pursuit-kristen-faulkner-becomes-first-u-s-woman-to-win-olympic-gold-in-two-different-disciplines . Retrieved 7 August 2024.
Early life and education
Faulkner was born in Homer, Alaska to parents Sara and Jon Faulkner, owners and operators of a resort in the city. She grew up in the Alaskan fishing community along with four siblings, Katie, Andrew, William, and Nicholas.{{cite web |url=https://kristenfaulkner.com/life-story |title=Life Story |website=Kristen Faulkner |access-date=2024-08-04}}{{cite news |last1=Biz |first1=Carson |title=Meet the VC who raced this year's (virtual) Tour de France |url=https://www.protocol.com/vc-raced-virtual-tour-de-france |accessdate=October 1, 2020 |publisher=Protocol |date=July 31, 2020 |archive-date=June 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602215935/https://www.protocol.com/vc-raced-virtual-tour-de-france |url-status=dead }}
Kristen Faulkner graduated from Harvard{{cite web | url=https://usacycling.org/athlete/kristen-faulkner | title=Kristen Faulkner | Road Cyclist | website=USA Cycling | access-date=July 10, 2022 | archive-date=July 10, 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220710143030/https://usacycling.org/athlete/kristen-faulkner | url-status=live }} in 2016 with a B.A in computer science, where she competed in varsity rowing.{{cite news |last1=Sayers |first1=Michael |title=The Kristen Faulkner Interview |url=https://michaelssayers.podbean.com/e/the-kristen-faulkner-interview/ |accessdate=October 1, 2020 |publisher=Interviews from the Gruppetto |date=March 27, 2020 |archive-date=August 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240807142025/https://www.podbean.com/login?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmichaelssayers.podbean.com%2Fe%2Fthe-kristen-faulkner-interview%2F&error=Invalid%20Podbean%20Site(2) |url-status=live }} She holds the university's record for fastest 2k indoor rowing time for lightweight women. Before that, she attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, where she was an honor roll student and varsity runner, swimmer, and rower.{{cn|date=April 2025}}
Career
Faulkner began competitive cycling in New York City in 2017 while she was working as an investment associate at Bessemer Venture Partners. She moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2018 and joined Team Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank in 2020. During her first year cycling professionally, she worked full-time as an investment associate at Threshold Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. She won the women's road time trial at the 2023 Pan American Games.{{Cite web |last=Frattini |first=Kirsten |date=2023-10-23 |title=Faulkner, Vargas win time trial titles at Pan American Games |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/faulkner-vargas-win-time-trial-titles-at-pan-american-games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209233618/https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/faulkner-vargas-win-time-trial-titles-at-pan-american-games/ |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=cyclingnews.com |language=en}} In October 2023, it was announced that Faulkner would join the UCI Women's Continental Team {{UCI team code|EFC}} for the 2024 season.{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Matilda |date=2023-10-10 |title=Kristen Faulkner signs for EF Education-Cannondale as American team's latest big-name transfer |url=https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/racing/news/kristen-faulkner-signs-for-ef-education-cannondale |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240229192514/https://www.globalcyclingnetwork.com/racing/news/kristen-faulkner-signs-for-ef-education-cannondale |archive-date=February 29, 2024 |access-date=February 29, 2024 |website=Global Cycling Network}}
Faulkner had a strong start to the 2024 season with her new team. She won the Omloop van het Hageland and Stage 4 of La Vuelta Feminina. In May, she won the road race and finished second in the time trial at the United States National Road Race Championships. She was then selected to join Chloé Dygert in the road race and team pursuit at the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web |last=Palermo |first=Angelina |date=2024-07-09 |title=Taylor Knibb Resigns from Paris 2024 Olympic Road Race, Kristen Faulkner to Represent Team USA |url=https://usacycling.org/article/taylor-knibb-resigns-from-paris-2024-olympic-road-race-kristen-faulkner-to-represent-team-usa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240720200208/https://usacycling.org/article/taylor-knibb-resigns-from-paris-2024-olympic-road-race-kristen-faulkner-to-represent-team-usa |archive-date=July 20, 2024 |access-date=July 20, 2024 |website=USA Cycling}}{{Cite web |last=Palermo |first=Angelina |date=2024-06-13 |title=USA Cycling Announces Olympic Games Paris 2024 Track Cycling Team |url=https://usacycling.org/article/usa-cycling-announces-olympic-games-paris-2024-track-cycling-team |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240620215549/https://usacycling.org/article/usa-cycling-announces-olympic-games-paris-2024-track-cycling-team |archive-date=June 20, 2024 |access-date=July 20, 2024 |website=USA Cycling}}
Faulkner, despite being a replacement on the 2024 Olympic team, was the first American to win a road racing gold medal in 40 years when she took first place in the women's road race. Faulkner finished the 158-kilometer race 58 seconds ahead of the silver and bronze medalists, who ended the race in a photo finish.{{Cite web |last=Pugmire |first=Jerome |date=2024-08-04 |title=Kristen Faulkner wins Paris Olympics women's road race for US after making the team as a replacement |url=https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-cycling-women-road-race-6b3b4b6acbf34cf32b202e0310f9c632 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240805092903/https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-cycling-women-road-race-6b3b4b6acbf34cf32b202e0310f9c632 |archive-date=August 5, 2024 |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=AP News |language=en}}
Faulkner also won the gold medal in women's team pursuit in track cycling alongside Chloé Dygert, Jennifer Valente, and Lily Williams. This was the first ever team track cycling gold medal in U.S. history. Faulkner became the first American woman and third female Olympian, after Leontien van Moorsel and Ester Ledecká, to win an Olympic gold medal in two different disciplines in the same Olympic Games.{{Cite web |last=Skretta |first=Dave |date=2024-08-07 |title=Finally golden: US women pursuit team wins Olympic gold after 12 years of silver and bronze medals |url=https://apnews.com/article/2024-olympics-paris-track-cycling-715e262f04005bc38280c9f910186dff |access-date=2024-08-07 |website=AP News}}
Major results
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
;2020 (1 pro win)
: 1st Stage 4 Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l'Ardèche
;2021 (1)
: 3rd Overall Tour of Norway
::1st Stage 1
: 3rd GP de Plouay
: 7th Gent–Wevelgem
: 10th Tour of Flanders
;2022 (3)
::1st {{cjersey|green}} Mountains classification
::1st Prologue & Stage 9
: 2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
::1st Stage 2 (ITT)
: 3rd Overall Itzulia Women
: 3rd Navarra Elite Classics
: 4th Emakumeen Nafarroako Klasikoa
;2023 (1)
: 1st 15px Time trial, Pan American Games
;2024 (7)
::1st 15px Team pursuit
: National Championships
::1st {{cjersey|usa}} Road race
::2nd Time trial
: 1st Omloop van het Hageland
: 1st Stage 4 La Vuelta Feminina
: 2nd Overall Trofeo Ponente in Rosa
::1st {{cjersey|purple}} Points classification
::1st {{cjersey|azul}} Mountains classification
::1st Stages 2 & 3
: 6th Strade Bianche
;2025 (1)
: National Championships
::1st {{cjersey|usa}} Road race
::2nd Time trial
{{div col end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- {{Official website|https://kristenfaulkner.com}}
- {{ProCyclingStats | 251252 | Kristen Faulkner}}
{{EF Education–Cannondale riders}}{{Footer Olympic Champions Road Cycling Women}}{{Footer Olympic Champions Track Team Pursuit Women}}{{Footer Pan American Champions Women's Cycling Time Trial}}{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faulkner, Kristen}}
Category:American female cyclists
Category:People from Homer, Alaska
Category:Harvard Crimson women's rowers
Category:Cyclists at the 2023 Pan American Games
Category:Cyclists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 2023 Pan American Games
Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in cycling
Category:21st-century American sportswomen
Category:Sportspeople from Alaska
Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in cycling