American Kristen Faulkner became a household name after she shocked in the women’s road race. She’d then help the U.S. win its first-ever gold in women’s team pursuit on the track with teammates Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente and Lily Williams.
Speaking of Valente, she became the last American to win an individual medal at the Paris Games when she won the women’s omnium race. Dygert also claimed bronze in the women’s time trial.
BMX freestyler Perris Bengas and mountain biker Haley Batten each won silvers outside of the track to round out the medals by the women in Paris. In total, the U.S. won six medals in women’s cycling events in Paris, its most ever in a single Olympics.
On the men’s side, Harrie Lavreysen completed the sprinting hat trick by winning the individual sprint, team sprint and keirin races inside the velodrome. The Dutchman joins Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny as the only riders to win three sprint medals in a single Games.
A trio of Frenchmen — Sylvain Andre, Romain Mahieu and Joris Daudet — entertained at the BMX racing event and provided the only podium sweep, in any sport, of the entire Paris Olympics.
RESULTS: CYCLING
REPLAYS: CYCLING
Medal count
There were 66 cycling medals handed out across the five disciplines at the Paris Olympics. Seventeen different nations took home a medal.
| Country | Gold- Silver- Bronze |
Total |
|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | 2 – 5 – 4 | 11 |
| France | 3 – 3 – 3 | 9 |
| Australia | 3 – 2 – 3 | 8 |
| Netherlands | 3 – 3 – 1 | 7 |
| United States | 3 – 2 – 1 | 6 |
| New Zealand | 2 – 2 – 1 | 5 |
| Belgium | 2 – 0 – 3 | 5 |
| Italy | 1 – 2 – 1 | 4 |
| Portugal | 1 – 1 – 0 | 2 |
| Germany | 0 – 1 – 1 | 2 |
| Argentina | 1 – 0 – 0 | 1 |
| China | 1 – 0 – 0 | 1 |
| Poland | 0 – 1 – 0 | 1 |
| Denmark | 0 – 0 – 1 | 1 |
| South Africa | 0 – 0 – 1 | 1 |
| Sweden | 0 – 0 – 1 | 1 |
| Switzerland | 0 – 0 – 1 | 1 |
Track cycling at the 2024 Paris Games
As mentioned above, on the track it was the Lavreysen show, with the impressive sprint sweep. As always, the track provided drama between Great Britain and the Dutch. Portugal’s Luri Leitao and Rui Oliviera had a strong showing at the Games, while Frenchman Benjamin Thomas won the grueling omnium race.
On the women’s side, New Zealand’s Ellese Andrews was always in the mix, winning two bronze medals in the sprint and keirin along with a gold in the team sprint. The U.S. women had a highly successful Games with Valente defending her omnium title and the pursuit team winning gold.
Women’s omnium medalists:
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