Kristen Faulkner’s Olympic Journey: Double-Discipline Duty with Team USA

01/05/2024 - La Vuelta Femenina 24 by Carrefour.es - Etapa 4 - Molina de Aragรณn / Zaragoza (142,3 km) - FAULKNER Kristen (EF EDUCATION - CANNONDALE)

Kristen Faulkner starts her Olympic campaign for Team USA at the Paris Games on August 4th in the womenโ€™s road race, followed by Team Pursuit rounds on the track on August 6th and 7th. Although Faulkner transitioned from world-class rowing to professional road cycling in the past five years, it was track cycling that secured her first Olympic appearance, offering the thrill of competition in a team setting.

She earned her first US Pro road race national championship this year, but it didnโ€™t guarantee her an Olympic spot like the time trial. Entering the ITT as the reigning Pan-American Champion, she finished second to Taylor Knibb at the Nationals. The day after winning the road race, Faulkner flew to Belgium for a final selection camp for the US track team in Zolder, completing the last piece of her Olympic puzzle.

Calculated preparations

Faulkner worked in the venture capitalist industry in New York before switching to the peloton in 2020. Numbers play a significant role in her athletic career, and her approach to achieving top performance on the track is meticulously calculated, especially with just two days between events.

โ€œI think the road race could help me get rid of my Olympic nerves since I donโ€™t feel nervous about it [the road race], and that could prepare me mentally for the Team Pursuit,โ€ Faulkner told Cyclingnews. โ€œThe Team Pursuit is my priority, and I only plan to do the road race if it doesnโ€™t negatively impact the Team Pursuit.โ€

The road race spans 158km, with her only teammate being Chloe Dygert, part of the training stress score (TSS) calculations, combining normalised power and intensity factor from power meter readings with distance.

โ€œIโ€™ve performed well after a hard day followed by a rest day. Iโ€™ve done simulations on the road to mimic a high TSS effort with high intensity, followed by a rest day then a track day. My best day on the track was the day after my rest day. I feel physically fine to do both. But itโ€™s hard to simulate a race in training. Thereโ€™s also emotional pressure at the Olympics, which plays a role as well. Iโ€™d miss a valuable track training day if I did the road race. Ultimately, Iโ€™ll do whatโ€™s best for Team Pursuit.โ€

Challenges and Comebacks

In April, the 31-year-old faced a setback with a concussion, affecting her preparations for the US Pro Nationals. โ€œI was quite stressed because I knew I had really good form and fitness before that,โ€ Faulkner said, reflecting on her spring road campaign, which included victories at Omloop van het Hageland and two stages of Trofeo Ponente in Rosa, and a sixth-place finish at Strade Bianche Donne.

Upon returning from injury, Faulkner focused on regaining her fitness for the Vuelta a Espaรฑa and the USA Nationals. โ€œAt the Vuelta, my sub-five-minute power was good, but my 20-minute threshold power suffered due to the concussion. I lost a lot of fitness. I didn’t have enough time to get back in shape fully before Nationals, which was disappointing. By the time Zolder came around, I was almost back at full fitness. It was a big month of pushing to make the Olympic team.โ€

In June, she rode two days at the Tour de Suisse Women for EF-Oatley-Cannondale and withdrew, opting to โ€œlay off the gas and give myself a breakโ€. Now, sheโ€™s healthy and 100% ready for the Olympics.

Kristen Faulkner on the attack at Omloop van het HagelandPhoto Credit: Rafa Gomez/SprintCyclingAgency
Kristen Faulkner on the attack at Omloop van het Hageland

Team Pursuit Journey

Faulkner had some experience on an outdoor track at San Jose Velodrome in California when she started racing in 2019 and 2020, using her โ€œmass-startโ€ road bike. Her first attempt in a team effort came at a Team Pursuit camp with USA Cycling in October 2022.

Selected to train in Adelaide, Australia, in January, she aimed to qualify for the team at a Nationโ€™s Cup race the first weekend of February. She described the result as โ€œpretty goodโ€, riding with the US team to fifth place alongside Olympic Omnium gold medallist Jennifer Valente, Lily Williams, and Olivia Cummins.

โ€œThey told me that to make the Olympic team, I had to race with them at least once. So I went to Australia with the goal to make the team for the Nation’s Cup there,โ€ Faulkner explained. After Australia, she returned for road racing in Europe with the EF-Oatly-Cannondale squad.

At the final selection camp in Zolder, five riders made the team. Returning from the Tokyo Games are teammates Valente, Williams, and Chloe Dygert, who were part of the bronze medal-winning squad. Faulkner joined the Team Pursuit squad along with Cummins, who won a collegiate gold medal at the USA Cycling Track Nationals in 2023 and is also making her Olympic debut.

Three sports, one goal

Growing up in Homer, Alaska, an 8-year-old Faulkner was inspired by Michael Phelps, who made his debut at the Sydney Olympic Games. Although Phelps didnโ€™t win a medal that year, he sparked the dreams of young athletes like Faulkner.

After high school in Massachusetts, Faulkner moved to rowing. In 2010, she won a silver medal at the Junior World Rowing Championships. At Harvard University, she was part of the crew team and earned All-American honours in lightweight rowing.

โ€œTeam Pursuit reminds me a lot of my rowing days. Itโ€™s just 100% a team effort. Thereโ€™s no individual standing on the podium; you either win or lose together,โ€ she said. โ€œIn Team Pursuit, thereโ€™s no showing off, no race leader. You donโ€™t need to prove youโ€™re better than anyone. I enjoy road racing where you can race for your teammates, but I also like races where itโ€™s 100% team, like a team time trial on the road.โ€

On August 6th, Faulkner will compete at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome, with family and friends travelling to France to support her. While some have seen her road races, none have seen her on the track.

โ€œI have a lot of family, extended family, and friends coming to watch me race. Itโ€™s quite special to share this with them, as theyโ€™re coming from Alaska, the East Coast, and California. Iโ€™m looking forward to showing them what I do for a living.โ€

Main photo credit: Sprint Cycling Agency