Harvard grad Kristen Faulkner, who joined Team USA as replacement, wins cycling gold

Kristen Faulkner, an American cyclist who didn't even qualify for the Olympics, is going home with a gold medal after a shocking race through Paris on Sunday. But people who knew her as a budding athlete in Massachusetts said they weren't surprised.

Faulkner picked up cycling as a hobby while living in New York in 2017. She didn't go pro until a few years ago. In fact, Faulkner didn't even qualify for the Olympics until Team USA needed a replacement.

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Now, she's the first American to win a road race medal in 40 years — finishing 58 seconds ahead of one of the greatest female cyclists of all time.

The 31-year-old was a rower throughout high school at Phillips Academy and college at Harvard University.

"Any challenge — no matter how scary or daunting — was like, that was her jam," former Phillips Academy crew coach Kathryn Green said. "It was obvious she was destined to do great things in cycling — just like in rowing."

Faulkner was in the first boat all four years at Phillips Academy in Andover — a rare feat for a freshman, according to Green.

Another former rower at Harvard remembers her as the strongest and fastest person on the team.

"When she first joined the team, I was definitely a bit starstruck," former Harvard rowing teammate Julia Baumel said. "One minute, she'd be on the rowing machine, putting up an insane time, and the next, she'd be smiling and laughing and congratulating anyone who got a personal best."

Paul Murphy, Faulkner's former swim coach at Phillips Academy, just returned from wishing her luck in Paris.

"She seemed really just happy and ready to go, and talking about how much she loved her sport and her team and the training, and you know, I knew she was a great athlete," Murphy said. "Tears are, like, running down my face because it's just this hugely emotional experience, where this person you know, this incredible human being, is out there doing great things."

Faulkner's Olympic campaign isn't over. She'll be back on track Tuesday for the team pursuit.

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