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PARIS (Velo) — Kristen Faulkner wasn’t even certified to race the Olympic Video games, however behind-the-scenes wrangling opened the door to begin Sunday to ship America’s first highway racing gold medal in 40 years.
A call weeks in the past to switch triathlete Taylor Knibb with Faulkner on the two-rider U.S. workforce put her on the beginning line Sunday and set into movement the dynamics to win the gold medal.
In a spectacular race Sunday, Faulkner marked favorites after which pounced late to solo to America’s first gold medal since Connie Carpenter-Phinney and Alexi Grewal each gained gold in highway racing in Los Angeles 1984.
Knibb, who’s racing in blended triathlon late on this Olympic Video games, didn’t race Sunday after giving up her spot to the eventual gold medalist.
“It was a simple choice to make. She’s by no means raced on the highway earlier than, and we talked concerning the execs and cons of it,” USA Biking’s head of efficiency Jim Miller instructed Velo.
“They’ve a triathlon workforce relay the day after the highway race, so I talked to their workforce, and I stated if I used to be in your sneakers, I might most likely need her to not race this as a result of you may win a medal within the triathlon relay.”
The triathlete punched her ticket for the Paris Olympics after beating Faulkner by 11 seconds within the U.S. nationwide time trial race in Could, which earned her a spot in each the highway race and time trial in Paris.
KRISTEN FAULKNER IS AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION! #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/htask3bzU2
— NBC Sports activities Biking (@NBCSCycling) August 4, 2024
Whereas a stable performer on the biking legs in triathlon, Knibb has no expertise racing within the bunch, and everybody determined the very best factor to do was to permit the extra skilled Faulkner begin the ladies’s race.
Knibb, who crashed thrice throughout a moist and treacherous time trial race to open the Olympic Video games, opted to not race the highway race.
Everybody agreed, and Knibb provided up her spot to Faulkner.
The substitute was made even simpler with Faulkner confirming her chops on the highway with some massive wins in 2024, to not point out that she was already a part of the ladies’s workforce pursuit squad on the observe.
“Taylor agreed, so it was a mutual choice and a straightforward dialog,” Miller stated. “With Kristen, we all know we have now a really robust card to play within the highway race.”
Faulkner, nevertheless, stated she wasn’t satisfied that she needed to take the spot on the highway race as a result of she’s additionally a key member of the four-rider workforce pursuit workforce in observe racing this week.
“I nearly didn’t race the highway race, and I needed to ask myself if I might be able to racing the highway race and be prepared for the workforce pursuit. We wish to medal, that’s why we’re right here,” Faulkner stated.
She mentioned it together with her coaches and determined it was well worth the threat, and she or he even simulated the 72-hour window from the highway race to the workforce pursuit qualifying throughout her preparation for the Video games.
“I made a decision I might solely do the highway race if I used to be assured I may medal,” she stated. “I even determined if I used to be dropped I might pull out to organize for workforce pursuit, and I might solely proceed within the race if I believed I may medal.”
That call proved proper on course, as Faulkner attacked up the primary assault of the Montmartre climb Sunday to experience into the main medal group.
She linked up with the main duo with 4km to go, and didn’t even blink.
Faulkner then attacked whereas the others seemed on, and she or he rode away with gold.