These 27 Cyclists Will Represent Team USA At The Tokyo Olympics
by Marc Lancaster
The cycling program at the Olympics continues to grow, and U.S. cyclists are looking to take advantage of the new opportunities.
USA Cycling will send a deep team that blends youth and experience to compete at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The governing body on Thursday unveiled a 27-person team that includes a gold medalist from Rio 2016 and several world champions across the five cycling disciplines to be contested in Tokyo. That includes BMX freestyle, which is set for its Olympic debut in Japan and features a top American gold-medal hopeful.
Here are the cyclists selected for Team USA:
USA Cycling will send a deep team that blends youth and experience to compete at this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The governing body on Thursday unveiled a 27-person team that includes a gold medalist from Rio 2016 and several world champions across the five cycling disciplines to be contested in Tokyo. That includes BMX freestyle, which is set for its Olympic debut in Japan and features a top American gold-medal hopeful.
Here are the cyclists selected for Team USA:
Chloé Dygert qualified for Tokyo by winning the time trial at the 2019 world championships and was positioned as a favorite to take gold before suffering a nasty leg injury in a crash while attempting to defend her world title last September. The Brownsburg, Indiana, native hasn’t raced since then but is slated to compete in the time trial and road race in Japan.
After making her Olympic debut in Beijing, Amber Neben of Irvine, California, is back for her third Games at age 46. She is a two-time world time trial champion and finished seventh in the event at the London Olympics. Lafayette, California, native Ruth Winder, a 2016 Olympian on the track, figures to lead the U.S. road race team after winning the Brabantse Pijl one-day classic in April. Sprinter Coryn Rivera, a former Tour of Flanders winner, could also be in the mix at the finish. She is from Tustin, California. Meanwhile, Santa Clara, California, native Leah Thomas rounds out the U.S. road race team after a strong run at the spring classics.
On the men’s side, Lawson Craddock of Houston and Brandon McNulty of Phoenix will compete in the road race and the time trial, with the latter event providing their best hopes for a medal. Craddock placed sixth in the time trial at the 2019 world championships after McNulty took bronze in the U23 event the previous day. Craddock placed second in the mountains classification last week at the Critérium du Dauphiné, while McNulty netted two top-10 stage finishes at the race.
After making her Olympic debut in Beijing, Amber Neben of Irvine, California, is back for her third Games at age 46. She is a two-time world time trial champion and finished seventh in the event at the London Olympics. Lafayette, California, native Ruth Winder, a 2016 Olympian on the track, figures to lead the U.S. road race team after winning the Brabantse Pijl one-day classic in April. Sprinter Coryn Rivera, a former Tour of Flanders winner, could also be in the mix at the finish. She is from Tustin, California. Meanwhile, Santa Clara, California, native Leah Thomas rounds out the U.S. road race team after a strong run at the spring classics.
On the men’s side, Lawson Craddock of Houston and Brandon McNulty of Phoenix will compete in the road race and the time trial, with the latter event providing their best hopes for a medal. Craddock placed sixth in the time trial at the 2019 world championships after McNulty took bronze in the U23 event the previous day. Craddock placed second in the mountains classification last week at the Critérium du Dauphiné, while McNulty netted two top-10 stage finishes at the race.
Dygert will also compete on the track in the team pursuit, where she helped the U.S. to a silver medal in Rio and gold at four of the last five world championships. The most recent of those came at Berlin in February 2020, and her teammates Jennifer Valente (San Diego), Emma White (Duanesburg, New York) and Lily Williams (Tallahassee, Florida) are headed to Tokyo as well. Valente is also a strong medal contender in the omnium, where she took silver at the last world championships, and will also compete in the Madison relay race with 19-year-old rising star Megan Jastrab of Apple Valley, California, who is also on the team pursuit list. Two-time world cup keirin gold medalist Maddie Godby of Louisville, Colorado, will race that event and the individual sprint in Tokyo.
Manhattan Beach, California’s Gavin Hoover took bronze in the omnium at the last world cup stop in 2019-20 and will compete in the event at his first Olympics. He will also race the Madison with Adrian Hegyvary of Seattle. The pair took silver at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Manhattan Beach, California’s Gavin Hoover took bronze in the omnium at the last world cup stop in 2019-20 and will compete in the event at his first Olympics. He will also race the Madison with Adrian Hegyvary of Seattle. The pair took silver at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Kate Courtney of Kentfield, California, is making her first trip to the Olympics after taking gold at the 2018 world championships and dominating the world cup circuit in 2019, when she became the first American to win the overall title in 17 years. Park City, Utah, native Haley Batten locked up her first Olympic berth with her second-place finish at the world cup race in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, in May. They will be joined in Tokyo by 2016 Olympian Chloe Woodruff. The Tucson, Arizona, native finished 14th in Rio.
The lone U.S. men’s representative is Christopher Blevins of Durango, Colorado. He placed second at the U23 world championships in 2020 and 2018.
The lone U.S. men’s representative is Christopher Blevins of Durango, Colorado. He placed second at the U23 world championships in 2020 and 2018.
Connor Fields of Henderson, Nevada, is back for his third Olympics and hoping to defend the gold medal he won in Rio. Corben Sharrah, also of Tucson, just missed joining Fields in the final in 2016 but won the overall world cup title that year and took gold at the world championships in 2017.
Former world champion and Rio 2016 silver medalist Alise Willoughby from Saint Cloud, Minnesota, leads the U.S. women in what will be her third Olympic appearance. Fellow veteran Felicia Stancil of Lake Villa, Illinois, who finished second in the 2019 world cup series rankings, makes her Olympic debut along with 19-year-old Payton Ridenour of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, who currently sits third in the world cup standings.
Former world champion and Rio 2016 silver medalist Alise Willoughby from Saint Cloud, Minnesota, leads the U.S. women in what will be her third Olympic appearance. Fellow veteran Felicia Stancil of Lake Villa, Illinois, who finished second in the 2019 world cup series rankings, makes her Olympic debut along with 19-year-old Payton Ridenour of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, who currently sits third in the world cup standings.
Hannah Roberts of Buchanan, Michigan, is the favorite to take gold in freestyle’s Olympic debut. The top-ranked rider in the world has won three of the four world championships contested in the discipline. The only exception was 2018, when U.S. teammate Perris Benegas of Reno, Nevada, took the title. Benegas will head to Tokyo as a medal contender as she sits fourth in the current world rankings.
On the men’s side, former world champion Justin Dowell of Virginia Beach, Virginia, should be a medal contender after finishing just off the podium at this week’s world championships in France. Nick Bruce, from Youngstown, Ohio, a bronze medalist at worlds in 2019, was just behind Dowell in fifth this week.
On the men’s side, former world champion Justin Dowell of Virginia Beach, Virginia, should be a medal contender after finishing just off the podium at this week’s world championships in France. Nick Bruce, from Youngstown, Ohio, a bronze medalist at worlds in 2019, was just behind Dowell in fifth this week.
Marc Lancaster #
Marc Lancaster is a writer and editor based in Charlotte. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.