Opinion: Women’s Gold Medal Cyclist has proud roots in Alaska

By Jim Sweeney

TNews Contributor

Kristen Faulkner wasn’t even supposed to be in the Cycling Road Race at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She had been slated to compete in the track team pursuit, but when her teammate Taylor Knibb bowed out of the road race, opportunity came knocking and Kristen opened the door and lined up to race with 92 of the world’s greatest female cyclists early Sunday morning.

Her parents, Jon and Sarah of Homer and Girdwood, Alaska waited at the finish line beneath the Eiffel Tower. Kristen had won the US National this year, but her folks could’ve never known what was going to happen Sunday in the City of Love.

Kristen is the granddaughter of Stumpy Faulkner, the longtime Glacier Valley icon. She has skied Alyeska her whole life. Her parents own Stumpy's old home, a short walk from Alyeska’s slopes. Kristen’s always been driven, it’s a Faulkner trait. She rowed on the varsity crew at Harvard and is known as an animal in the gym.

Alaskan Gold Medal Olympian Kristen Faulkner racing in Paris, France. (Photo courtesy of family)

The race starts with attacks just a few miles into the 157.6 kilometer (98 miles) competition and these assaults continue until a strong breakaway is established with two riders from Afghanistan, one from Israel, one from Vietnam and a neutral rider. The group works well together and develop a six minute lead over the peloton.

Kristen stays with the race favorites and eventually tracks down most of the breakaway. At this point in the race Kristen is racing strong and smart. She follows every attack and a bad crash at the base of the Montmartre hill whittles the peloton down to ten riders. 

Alaskan Kristen Faulkner displays her Gold Medal. (Photo by Zac Williams)

Two of the race favorites Vos and Vas then attack from the peloton and quickly catch the last rider from the break and drop her. It looks like these two riders have the gold and silver medals tied up until a chase group including Faulkner start bringing Vos and Vas back. 

The chase group is now just Faulkner and Kopecky. They catch the breakaway and Faulkner attacks. The other three racers look at each other and no one takes the torch and Kristen Faulkner lowers her head, pushes on her pedals and cruises ahead towards the Eiffel Tower.

Kristen hasn’t had an easy ride her whole life. Last summer, she was hit by a car while training in California and she fractured her knee and developed a blood clot in her lung. As soon as she could though, she returned to her training. 

Kristen can see the Eiffel Tower now. She looks back and her competition is nowhere to be seen. She can’t be ready for this moment. How could she be? She keeps her head down. She thinks she won but she’s not sure, so she doesn’t raise her arms in victory when she passes over the finish line. 

I can only assume that her parents, Jon and Sarah are a crying, proud mess at this moment and they work their way down to the finish line to celebrate the gold medal with their daughter.

Olympian Gold Medal Cyclist Kristen Faulkner. (Photo courtesy of family)