CYCLING AT THE PAN AM GAMES
Storylines
- From Venture Capital to World Tour Podium - Kristen Faulkner — Faulkner got into cycling later than most. Before she was winning at the top level of professional cycling, she worked ather parents’ hotel and restaurant in Alaska and graduated from Harvard with a computer science degree and competed on their rowing team. After graduation, Faulkner worked at an early-stage venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. In 2016, she attended an introductory women’s cycling clinic while living in New York City and fell in love with the sport. Four years after her first race, she found herself winning two stages of the Giro d’Italia Donne, one of the most prestigious road races in the world, and the Queen of the Mountains classification. She proved to be at the height of her career, earning World Tour podiums in 2023. But, she was struck by a car during training, ending her 2023 season early. She is now more motivated than ever to make the Olympic dream come true. Faulker will be competing in the Pan American Games Santiago 2023.
- Women’s Mountain Biking — Just like in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games, USA Cycling has four women consistently finishing in the top 15 at the world cups and world championships for mountain biking. For Paris 2024, the maximum number of quota spots available is two people. Former world champion and Tokyo 2020 Olympian Kate Courtney is now the veteran of the team with the next generation right behind her. Joining the battle for the Olympic team is Tokyo 2020 Olympian Haley Batten, and newcomers Gwendalyn Gibson and Savilia Blunk. On any given day, it can be anyone’s race, with all four women capable of podiums at each world cup betweennow and July 2024. Of those mentioned, only Gibson will be in Santiago.
Team USA’s Dominance in BMX Freestyle — Team USA continues its dominance across both the women’s and men’s fields in BMX Freestyle after the sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. Hannah Roberts just won her fifth world championship title, continuing the American world championship streak. The first-ever UCI BMX Freestyle World Championships were contested in 2017, and Roberts has won every year, except for 2018 when she was injured and teammate Perris Benegas took gold. On the me’s side, five Americans will be fighting for the Olympic spots. Tokyo 2020 Olympians Nick Bruce and Justin Dowell have provedthat they are still at the top of their game. Bruce won the bronze medal at the 2023 world championships, while Dowell earned silver at the 2022 world championships. Daniel Sandoval is also no stranger to world’s podiums either and will be one to watch. New to the international contest scene are Marcus Christopher and Brian Fox. Both claimed several World Cup podiums this season. Only Bruce and Roberts will make appearances in Santiago.
Athletes to Watch
- Nick Bruce (BMX Freestyle) — Bruce has consistently been a top competitor in BMX freestyle. He suffered from a shoulder injury at the Tokyo Games, and has been fighting to come back ever since July 2021. His first contest back was the world cup season in 2023 and he was struggling to find his flow again, but it all clicked at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. There, he scored a bronze medal and one of the best runs he has laid down in years. He’s proven that he is back to his winning ways.
- Hannah Roberts (BMX Freestyle) — Roberts won her fifth world championship title (out of six world championship events), making her the winningest BMX Freestyle rider in history, male or female. Roberts was the one to watch going into the Tokyo Games where she scored a silver medal. She has continued to be dominant, landing on every world cup podium this year.
- Gwendalyn Gibson (Mountain Bike) — 24-year-old Gibson sprung on to the Mountain Bike world cup scene in 2022 in her first year of elite racing. She excels in the short track (non-Olympic) cross-county races, winning the world cup in front of a home crowd in Snowshoe, WestVirgina, in 2022. In 2023, she’s proven to be one of the top North American racers and is consistently inthe top 15 of the world cups. She will be looking for a medal at the Pan American Games Santiago 2023.
- Payton Ridenour (BMX Racing) — Ridenour was a last chance qualifier for the Tokyo Games at 19 years old. She’s part of the next generation coming up behind veterans and former world champions, Alise Willoughby and Felicia Stancil. Ridenour has had several world cup podiums inthe Elite Women’s races. She also created her own children’s book, A to Z: BMX Style.
- Cameron Wood (BMX Racing) — 20-year-old Wood had a breakout season in 2022. He landed on three world cup podiums, finished second in the world cup overall standings, and finished off the year winning the USA BMX Grand Nationals. As the next generation moves in, some are saying that he is the successor to the recently retired Connor Fields. Unfortunately, Wood was injured for most of 2023, but is sure to make a strong comeback with Olympic points on the line in 2024.
Cycling Roster
Chloe Patrick
Women's Track - Team Pursuit, Madison
Elizabeth Stevenson
Women's Track - Team Pursuit
Jamie Alvord III
Men's Track - Team Sprint, Sprint
Evan Boone
Men's Track - Keirin, Sprint
Josh Hartman
Men's Track - Team Spint
Dalton Walters
Men's Track - Team Spring