Kristen Faulkner Makes History With Gold Medal Win in Women’s Cycling Road Race
By Ryan Gaydos
Kristen Faulkner did something for Team USA at the Olympics that hadn’t been done since the 1984 Summer Games – win a gold medal in the women’s cycling road race event.
She did it in dramatic fashion on Sunday.
With about 3.4 kilometers to go, Faulkner found herself behind Dutch cyclist Marianne Vos and Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky. She was just ahead of Hungary’s Blanka Vas. Faulkner was right behind Kopecky when she pulled out from the group and zoomed around them.
She then pulled away from the group and grabbed the gold medal by about a minute.
“It’s a dream come true,” she said. “It’s the best feeling in the world. I don’t know how to describe it.
“I knew that Kopecky wanted to catch the front two, so I knew she’d ride with me. I knew that if we caught them, then I had to attack because I couldn’t beat any of them at the line. The best place to attack was right after we caught them and everyone was tired. That was my chance, I practiced my late attack several times this year.”
JORDAN CHILES PICKS UP BRONZE MEDAL AFTER SCORE IS CHANGED FOLLOWING FLOOR ROUTINE, SIMONE BILES GETS SILVER
The last Americans to medal in the event came at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. It was the first time the women’s road race was taking place when Connie Carpenter-Phinney and Alexi Grewal won gold and silver.
Interestingly enough, Faulkner wasn’t even supposed to be in the event.
Taylor Knibb withdrew to focus on triathlon. Faulkner took the spot and came through for the win.
Faulkner won Omloop van het Hageland and won a stage at La Vuelta Femenina.
The focus is now on the National Velodrome of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on Monday.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
Recommended For You
The price of gold could continue to rise in October, according to some experts. Getty Images Gold has been on a remarkable journey this year, surpassing expectations and...
Read moreA treasure trove of 748 gold and silver coins, unearthed by a metal detectorist inspired by Indiana Jones, has been sold at auction for a total of £13,865....
Read moreHouse Speaker Mike Johnson to Host Event Honoring Women Pioneers of the Space Race House Speaker Mike Johnson will be hosting an event on Wednesday to recognize the...
Read moreWashington — A group of Black women central to NASA's success during the space race and known as the "Hidden Figures" were honored Wednesday in a Congressional Gold...
Read moreGold rate today: Gold prices were volatile in the domestic futures market on Wednesday morning ahead of the US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision. Investors are anticipating an...
Read more