For the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games, USA Biking has set the formidable aim of securing 7-10 medals, putting their hopes squarely on the shoulders of their feminine athletes, and monitor cyclists particularly.
The American federation at the moment unveiled the star-studded monitor squad meant to meet these targets, led by three-time World Champion and Olympic Champion Jennifer Valente (Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24) and seven-time monitor world champion and two-time Olympic medalist Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM) — each making their third Olympic appearances.
Valente, already a four-time Olympic medalist, is poised to compete in all three ladies’s monitor endurance occasions: Crew Pursuit, Madison and Omnium. On the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Valente made historical past by securing USA’s first Olympic gold within the Ladies’s Omnium. She continued her streak by profitable her first particular person World Title within the Omnium a month later.
“I am excited to formally be named to my third Olympic staff. The Olympic Video games have at all times been particular to me, and this time round is simply as fascinating,” says Valente. “The journey to Paris has been its personal distinctive course of with new challenges on this shortened quad. I am thrilled to be lining up alongside longstanding teammates and a few recent faces.”
Within the Ladies’s Madison, a race that made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, Valente will staff up as soon as once more with Lily Williams (Human Powered Well being). Williams may also return to the Crew Pursuit squad, a self-discipline by which she gained the 2020 World Championship and the Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo.
Dygert, the reigning UCI World Champion within the Particular person Time Trial on the street and the Particular person Pursuit on the monitor, is a big-time Olympic favourite. She’s simply 27 years previous however will likely be making her third journey to the Olympics as a member of each Crew USA’s street and monitor biking groups. On the monitor, she’ll be a vital member of the Crew Pursuit squad.
“I’m really blessed to be chosen for my third Olympic Video games in USA colours. Grateful for many who go above and past behind the scenes to ensure I am the perfect I will be on and off the bike. We are going to see you in Paris,” feedback Dygert.
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The Olympic debutants becoming a member of the Crew Pursuit roster are U.S. nationwide street race champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Training-Cannondale) and Olivia Cummins (DNA Professional Biking), a member of the profitable Pan American Championships Crew Pursuit squad.
Faulkner has made a fast rise within the biking world since beginning bike racing in 2020. She’s already acquired two Nationwide Championship medals to her title in addition to three Grand Tour stage wins over the previous two years.
“I dreamed of competing within the Olympics ever since I used to be 8 years previous, and I noticed it on T.V. That is the largest dream I’ve ever had, and it is lastly come true,” says Faulkner. “I’m past excited to symbolize the USA alongside such a robust group of athletes. I’ll do my finest to carry residence a medal for Crew USA!”
Crew USA’s monitor squad additionally has a male presence, albeit a really small one. Grant Koontz (Trak Star Biking) is the one U.S. male contender in monitor biking on the Paris Olympic Video games. Koontz has had a standout yr, profitable titles on the Pan American Championships within the Elimination, Madison, and Crew Pursuit, in addition to a bronze medal within the Adelaide Nations Cup Elimination Race. He’ll be representing the celebrities and stripes within the Omnium race.
“The Olympics has been a lifelong obsession of mine, and I am extremely grateful to be named to the staff. I nonetheless cannot fairly imagine I will be representing Crew USA in Paris this summer time. It is really a dream come true, and I’ve 1,000,000 individuals to thank for serving to me get there,” says Koontz. “However for now, it is again to coaching and conserving to the grind that helped me get right here within the first place.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Video games kick off on July 26, 2024, with biking occasions scheduled every single day. Monitor occasions start on Tuesday, August 6, and can conclude on Sunday, August 11. Crew USA’s BMX and street biking staff have but to be introduced however its four-member mountain bike squad was unveiled earlier this week.
Crew USA’s mountain bike roster consists of two Tokyo 2020 returning Olympians and two first-timers: 2024 Pan American Champion Haley Batten, Christopher Blevins, U.S. Nationwide Champion Savilia Blunk and prolific XCO podium finisher Riley Amos.
This group of riders has had an amazing begin to the 2024 season, collectively incomes 6 Elite Cross-Nation Olympic (XCO) podiums, 5 Elite Brief Monitor (XCC) podiums, and an ideal season within the U23 Males’s races.
