Kristen Faulkner's Olympic dream became reality on Thursday when she was nominated for the country's track cycling team for Paris. The EF Education-Cannondale rider was the top contender to earn an automatic selection for USA Cycling's Olympic road team but missed the bid by 11 seconds when triathlete Taylor Knibb won the national championship time trial.
Faulkner persisted, heading directly from Charleston, West Virginia, after winning the national championship road race to USA Cycling's track cycling camp in Belgium, where she proved herself to the selectors.
"I dreamed of competing in the Olympics ever since I was 8 years old, and I saw it on TV. This is the biggest dream I've ever had, and it's finally come true!" Faulkner said. "I am beyond excited to represent the USA alongside such a strong group of athletes. I will do my best to bring home a medal for Team USA."
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The 31-year-old joins the more established riders from the 2021 Olympic team pursuit squad, Chloé Dygert, Jen Valente and Lily Williams, with Olivia Cummins rounding out the fifth spot for the women's Team Pursuit.
Grant Koontz was named as the sole male rider for the track cycling events as the country only qualified for one position for the men's Omnium and no other events.
Faulkner's inclusion in the track team also opens the door for USA Cycling to nominate her to replace Knibb for the women's road race, as rules allow replacements only from athletes already nominated to teams in other cycling disciplines.
Valente, the 2021 Olympic Omnium champion, will return to defend her title and also compete in the Madison with Williams.
"I'm excited to officially be named to my third Olympic team," Valente said. "The Olympic Games have always been special to me, and this time around is just as captivating. The journey to Paris has been its own unique process with new challenges in this shortened quad. I'm thrilled to be lining up alongside longstanding teammates and some fresh faces."
Cummins is the youngest member of the team at 20.
"I still don't know how to put into words what making this Olympic team means to me," Cummins said. "The Olympics were never something I ever thought I would be able to achieve, so, it was never a big dream of mine growing up. It was something the famous, professional athletes did, not me. That is, until about a year ago when I found myself in a position where making this team became a possibility.
"I made the Olympics my dream a year ago, I committed fully to it, made sacrifices, and I made it happen. I can't wait to see this dream through this August in Paris!"
The 2024 Olympic Games cycling events start on July 27, 2024, with the men's and women's individual time trial. Cross Country MTB follows on July 28-29. The men's and women's road races take place on August 3-4, while track racing commences on Monday, August 5 and lasts through the final day of the Games on August 11.
