Jennifer Marie Valente (born December 24, 1994) is an American professional racing cyclist who is a two-time gold medalist in women's omnium at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics. As part of the U.S. team, she has also won the team pursuit at the Paris Olympics. Valente has ridden for UCI Women's Team Virginia's Blue RidgeβTwenty28.[4] She has won seven gold medals in the World Championships and five Olympic medals, making her the most decorated U.S. female cyclist in Olympic history.[5]
Career
[edit]She enjoyed a successful junior career, winning 12 national titles and one world junior title.[6] At the 2011 and 2012 UCI Junior Track World Championships she won three medals, a gold medal in the scratch race and two bronze medals in the keirin.[7]
In the individual pursuit she won a silver medal at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. In the team pursuit she has won three gold medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships and a silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
In June 2021, she qualified to represent the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[8] She took the gold medal in the women's omnium, beating reigning World champion Yumi Kajihara of Japan. This was the first women's track cycling gold medal for the United States.[9]
At the 2023 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Valente became the most decorated American track cyclist in history, winning her 17th World Championship medal. She surpassed the previous recordholder, Sarah Hammer, who has fifteen.[10]
In August 2024, she won her second and third Olympic gold medals, in the team pursuit and omnium. Valente's team pursuit gold medal was the first-ever in U.S. history. In both the 2020 and 2024 Olympics the women's omnium was one of the final events of the competition. As such, her gold medals helped the United States to come from behind and edge China in the overall medal count in Tokyo and Paris.[11][12]
Major results
[edit]- 2011
- UCI Junior Track World Championships
- 1st π Image
Scratch - 3rd π Image
Keirin
- 1st π Image
- 2012
- 1st π Image
Keirin, National Track Championships[13] - 3rd π Image
Keirin, UCI Junior Track World Championships - Pan American Track Championships
- 3rd π Image
Keirin - 3rd π Image
Scratch - 3rd π Image
Team pursuit
- 3rd π Image
- 2013
- 2nd π Image
Team pursuit, Los Angeles Grand Prix (with Kimberly Geist, Sarah Hammer and Ruth Winder) - 2014
- Pan American Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit (with Amber Gaffney, Kimberly Geist and Elizabeth Newell) - 3rd π Image
Omnium
- 1st π Image
- 1st π Image
Omnium, National Track Championships[14] - 1st π Image
Omnium, Grand Prix of Colorado Spring - 2015
- 2nd π Image
Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships - Pan American Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Individual pursuit - 1st π Image
Scratch - 1st π Image
Team pursuit (with Kelly Catlin, Sarah Hammer and Ruth Winder)
- 1st π Image
- National Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Individual pursuit - 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Scratch
- 1st π Image
- 2nd π Image
Team pursuit, Pan American Games (with Kelly Catlin, Sarah Hammer, Lauren Tamayo and Ruth Winder) - 2014β15 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 3rd π Image
Team pursuit, Cali
- 3rd π Image
- 2015β16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 2nd π Image
Team pursuit, Cali - 3rd π Image
Scratch, Cali
- 2nd π Image
- Independence Day Grand Prix
- 2nd π Image
Scratch - 3rd π Image
Individual pursuit
- 2nd π Image
- 2016
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships - 2nd π Image
Team pursuit, Olympic Games - 3rd π Image
Team pursuit, UCI Track Cycling World Cup (Hong Kong) - 2017
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships - Pan American Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch
- 1st π Image
- National Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch
- 1st π Image
- 1st π Image
Omnium, US Sprint GP - 1st π Image
Omnium, Fastest Man on Wheels - 2016β17 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit, Los Angeles
- 1st π Image
- 2017β18 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 1st π Image
Omnium, Manchester[15] - 2nd π Image
Omnium, PruszkΓ³w[16]
- 1st π Image
- 5th Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
- 2018
- UCI Track World Championships
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit - 2nd π Image
Points race
- 1st π Image
- Pan American Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch - 1st π Image
Team pursuit
- 1st π Image
- National Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Madison - 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch
- 1st π Image
- 2017β18 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit, Minsk - 3rd π Image
Omnium, Minsk
- 1st π Image
- 2018β19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 3rd π Image
Omnium, Milton - 3rd π Image
Scratch Race, Milton - 3rd π Image
Omnium, Berlin - 2nd π Image
Omnium, London - 2nd π Image
Team pursuit, London
- 3rd π Image
- 10th Winston-Salem Cycling Classic
- 2019
- 3rd π Image
Omnium, UCI Track World Championships - National Track Championships
- 1st π Image
Madison - 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch
- 1st π Image
- 1st π Image
Omnium, 2019 Pan American Games - Pan American Track Cycling Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch - 1st π Image
Madison - 2nd π Image
Team pursuit
- 1st π Image
- 2019β20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 1st π Image
Omnium, Minsk - 1st π Image
Team pursuit, Minsk - 1st π Image
Points Race, Minsk - 3rd π Image
Scratch, Minsk - 2nd π Image
Omnium, Cambridge - 1st π Image
Omnium, Brisbane
- 1st π Image
- 2020
- 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 1st π Image
Team pursuit - 2nd π Image
Points race - 2nd π Image
Scratch
- 1st π Image
- 2019β20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
- 1st π Image
Omnium, Milton - 1st π Image
Team pursuit, Milton - 3rd π Image
Madison, Milton
- 1st π Image
- 2021
- 2020 Summer Olympics
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 3rd π Image
Team pursuit
- 1st π Image
- 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 3rd π Image
Scratch - 3rd π Image
Elimination
- 3rd π Image
- 2022
- 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 3rd π Image
Elimination - 3rd π Image
Points race
- 1st π Image
- 2022 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup
- 1st π Image
Elimination, Milton - 2nd π Image
Omnium, Milton - 3rd π Image
Team pursuit, Milton - 1st π Image
Omnium, Cali - 1st π Image
Elimination, Cali - 1st π Image
Madison, Cali
- 1st π Image
- 2022 UCI Track Champions League
- 1st π Image
2022 UCI Track Champions League β Endurance Overall
- 1st π Image
- 2023
- 2023 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Scratch - 3rd π Image
Elimination
- 1st π Image
- 2023 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup
- 1st π Image
Elimination, Cairo - 2nd π Image
Elimination, Milton - 3rd π Image
Omnium, Milton
- 1st π Image
- 2024
- 2024 Summer Olympics
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Team pursuit
- 1st π Image
- 2024 Pan American Track Cycling Championships
- 1st π Image
Omnium - 1st π Image
Points race - 1st π Image
Scratch - 1st π Image
Elimination - 1st π Image
Madison[17]
- 1st π Image
- 2024 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup
- 2nd π Image
Elimination, Adelaide - 3rd π Image
Omnium, Adelaide - 3rd π Image
Madison, Adelaide[18] - 1st π Image
Elimination, Milton - 3rd π Image
Omnium, Milton - 3rd π Image
Madison, Milton[19]
- 2nd π Image
- 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships
- 2nd π Image
Scratch - 3rd π Image
Elimination
- 2nd π Image
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Jennifer Valente". United States Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ Jennifer Valente at Cycling Archives (archive) π Edit this at Wikidata
- ^ "Rider Profile: Jennifer Valente". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Sho-Air TWENTY20 Announces 2019 Roster with 4 Canadians". CanadianCyclist.com. Canadian Cyclist. January 16, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Paris 2024: Dominant Jennifer Valente finishes the job to secure place in U.S. cycling folklore. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
- ^ "UCCS student wins silver in cycling". University of Colorado. August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Jennifer Valente". Cycling Archives. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "U.S. Olympic cycling roster set with road, indoor, BMX, mountain teams". OlympicTalk | NBC Sports. June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Shinn, Peggy (August 8, 2021). "Jennifer Valente Is First U.S. Woman To Win Gold In Track Cycling". Team USA. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- ^ "Jennifer Valente repeats as world champion in track cycling's omnium". NBC Sports. August 9, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ "Jennifer Valente, San Diego cyclist, wins Olympic gold medal". San Diego Union-Tribune. August 8, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ West, Jenna. "U.S. ties China for most golds in Paris, tops Olympic medals race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
- ^ "Tamayo adds national title to Olympic silver". cyclingnews.com. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ "Valente, Lea set track records en route to omnium titles". USA Cycling. August 13, 2014. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ^ Daniel Benson (November 12, 2017). "Valente takes 'incredible' World Cup Omnium win". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- ^ "Australia's Scotson and Meyer take Madison title, Wild claims women's omnium in Pruszkow". cyclingnews.com. November 4, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ https://www.uci.org/competition-details/2024/PIS/72407 . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ https://www.tissottiming.com/2024/ctrnci/schedule . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ^ https://www.tissottiming.com/2024/ctrnciii/schedule . Retrieved 15 August 2024.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jennifer Valente.
- Jennifer Valente at USA Cycling
- Jennifer Valente at UCIπ Edit on Wikidata
- Jennifer Valente at ProCyclingStatsπ Edit on Wikidata
- Jennifer Valente at CycleBaseπ Edit on Wikidata
- Jennifer Valente at Olympics.comπ Edit on Wikidata
- Jennifer Valente at Olympediaπ Edit on Wikidata
- Jennifer Valente at InterSportStatsπ Edit on Wikidata
- Jennifer Valente at Team USA (archive June 2, 2023)
Categories:
- 1994 births
- Living people
- American female cyclists
- Sportspeople from San Diego
- Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists for the United States in cycling
- Olympic silver medalists for the United States in cycling
- Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in cycling
- Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- UCI Track Cycling World Champions (women)
- American track cyclists
- Cyclists at the 2015 Pan American Games
- Cyclists at the 2019 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 2015 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 2019 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in cycling
- Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in cycling
- 21st-century American sportswomen
- Cyclists from California
- Cyclists at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs alumni
- Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics