On day 13 of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Team USA kicked off their second day of racing at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome. The team, consisting of Jennifer Valente (San Diego; Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24), Chloé Dygert (Brownsburg, Ind.; CANYON//SRAM Racing), Lily Williams (Tallahassee, Fla.; Human Powered Health), and Kristen Faulkner (Homer, Alaska; EF Education-Cannondale), lined up for the four-kilometer pursuit in the first round against Great Britain. The United States clocked in at 4:04.629, narrowly edging out Team GB by just 0.29 seconds. Advancing to the gold medal round, Team USA faced New Zealand. With an impressive qualifying time under their belts, Coach Gary Sutton encouraged the team to “believe in themselves.”
In an exciting gold medal round, Team USA dominated from the start of the race securing the gold medal. They clocked a time of 4:04.306, finishing just a fraction of a second off the World Record time.
This victory marked Faulkner’s second gold of the week. Reflecting on her rapid progress in track cycling, Faulkner credited her success to the exceptional coaching and support from her teammates, stating, “I think it says a lot about the coaches we have and the team we have around us. I have learned a lot in the past year from my teammates. I don’t think my improvement came from me; it came from the people around me. I hope there's more to come from this team as well.”
Coach Sutton expressed his pride, saying, “I was confident coming in here tonight, especially after qualifying. They all played their role. I’ve been around long enough to know that you’re only as good as your athletes. I’m very proud of each one of them.”
The Women’s Team Pursuit squad has had a storied history of dominance over the past decade. This marks their fourth consecutive Olympic Team Pursuit medal, having medaled in every Women’s Team Pursuit event since the event's debut in 2012.
When asked about the program’s success, Dygert acknowledged the significant efforts of USA Cycling, noting, “I think USA Cycling has put a lot of work and time into this event specifically. When I came into the program in 2016, this was the medal that USA Cycling had wanted more than any other. This has been the focus from the beginning of my career.” This is the second medal Dygert has earned during the Games, after earning bronze in the Women’s Time Trial.
1. United States of America – 4:04.306
2. New Zealand – 4:04.927
3. Great Britain – 4:06.382
Racing continues tomorrow with the Men’s Omnium, where Grant Koontz (Nederland, Colo.; Star Track Cycling) will race against the best in the world for a shot at an Olympic medal. The day will begin with the Scratch race, followed by the Tempo race and the Elimination race, and will conclude with the Points race to determine the Omnium champion.
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