U.S. Cyclist Kristen Faulkner Wasn’t Supposed to Be in Paris. Now She’s a Gold Medalist

Team USA cyclist Kristen Faulkner secured the gold in the women’s road race Sunday—though her participation in the race almost didn’t happen. 

The 31-year-old wrapped up the 158-km race with a time of 3:49:23 after charging down the final stretch, launching a counterattack, and riding away from the top three riders in the race. “I knew I had to attack them as soon as we caught them. I knew they were sprinters. But I knew they didn’t want to work together – they were [from] three different countries.