PARIS – Kristen Faulkner '16, a former Harvard-Radcliffe lightweight rower, claimed her second gold medal of the 2024 Paris Olympics after winning the Cycling Team Pursuit competition for Team USA. Faulkner and her three teammates finished with a time of 4:04.306, besting New Zealand by 0.621 in the race for gold.
Faulkner helped Team USA achieve its first-ever gold medal in the Women's Cycling Track Team Pursuit Competition.
Team USA opened competition on Aug. 6 with the 10-team qualifying round and posted the field's second-fastest time of 4:05.238, advancing to Wednesday's first round where it was matched against Great Britain.
In its head-to-head clash with Great Britain, Faulkner and her American teammates logged a time of 4:04.629, besting its opponent by 0.3 seconds and securing its spot in the final.
In the final, USA emerged as the front-runner mid-way through the 4000m race and did not let up the lead. Faulkner and her teammates finished first and claimed the first ever gold medal in Team USA history in this competition.
A native of Homer, Alaska, Faulkner earns yet another gold medal just three days after winning the Women's Cycling Road Race, the first ever American Cyclist to do-so as well.
Faulkner was a Harvard-Radcliffe varsity rower for two years (2015-2016). In 2016, Faulkner was part of the first varsity boat for the entire season. She sat five seat in the 1V at the IRA National Championship where she helped the team earn a bronze. The Black and White also came in second place at Eastern Sprints earlier that year.
She took up cycling just four years ago, first starting to ride in Central Park, New York. Faulkner got a job in venture capital in California before embarking on her professional cycling career.
Faulkner completed a historic week of racing and is now cemented in Olympic Cycling history.
