Historic Triumph: Kristen Faulkner Clinches Olympic Gold

Kristen Faulkner made history by winning the women's road cycling gold medal at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first American to do so since Connie Carpenter-Phinney in 1984. Faulkner's win was unexpected as she wasn't initially slated to compete, but she seized the opportunity when teammate Taylor Knibb withdrew.

Forty years after Connie Carpenter-Phinney's historic gold in Los Angeles, she watched anxiously as Kristen Faulkner vied for gold in the Paris Olympics road race.

Carpenter-Phinney's legacy was joined by Faulkner's audacious ride past the Eiffel Tower. Faulkner wasn't initially slated to compete but grabbed the chance when Taylor Knibb withdrew.

Faulkner's remarkable season, including victories in Belgium's Omloop van het Hageland and a stage at La Vuelta Feminina, paved the way for this triumph. With her strategic and fearless racing, Faulkner etched her name in history as an Olympic gold medalist, making the American team a formidable force in Paris.

(With inputs from agencies.)