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 . 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.Paris 2024: Dominant Jennifer Valente finishes the job to secure place in U.S. cycling folklore. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
Career She enjoyed a successful junior career, winning 12 national titles and one world junior title. 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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
Major results
2011 UCI Junior Track World Championships 1st Scratch 3rd Keirin 2012 1st Keirin, National Track Championships 3rd Keirin, UCI Junior Track World Championships Pan American Track Championships 3rd Keirin 3rd Scratch 3rd Team pursuit 2013 2nd Team pursuit, Los Angeles Grand Prix (with Kimberly Geist, Sarah Hammer and Ruth Winder) 2014 Pan American Track Championships 1st Team pursuit (with Amber Gaffney, Kimberly Geist and Elizabeth Newell) 3rd Omnium 1st Omnium, National Track Championships 1st Omnium, Grand Prix of Colorado Spring 2015 2nd Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships Pan American Track Championships 1st Individual pursuit 1st Scratch 1st Team pursuit (with Kelly Catlin, Sarah Hammer and Ruth Winder) National Track Championships 1st Individual pursuit 1st Omnium 1st Scratch 2nd Team pursuit, Pan American Games (with Kelly Catlin, Sarah Hammer, Lauren Tamayo and Ruth Winder) 2014–15 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 3rd Team pursuit, Cali 2015–16 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 2nd Team pursuit, Cali 3rd Scratch, Cali Independence Day Grand Prix 2nd Scratch 3rd Individual pursuit 2016 1st Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships 2nd Team pursuit, Olympic Games 3rd Team pursuit, UCI Track Cycling World Cup (Hong Kong) 2017 1st Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships Pan American Track Championships 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch National Track Championships 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Omnium, US Sprint GP 1st Omnium, Fastest Man on Wheels 2016–17 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 1st Team pursuit, Los Angeles 2017–18 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 1st Omnium, Manchester 2nd Omnium, Pruszków 5th Overall Cascade Cycling Classic 2018 UCI Track World Championships 1st Team pursuit 2nd Points race Pan American Track Championships 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Team pursuit National Track Championships 1st Madison 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 2017–18 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 1st Team pursuit, Minsk 3rd Omnium, Minsk 2018–19 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 3rd Omnium, Milton 3rd Scratch Race, Milton 3rd Omnium, Berlin 2nd Omnium, London 2nd Team pursuit, London 10th Winston-Salem Cycling Classic 2019 3rd Omnium, UCI Track World Championships National Track Championships 1st Madison 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Omnium, 2019 Pan American Games Pan American Track Cycling Championships 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Madison 2nd Team pursuit 2019–20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 1st Omnium, Minsk 1st Team pursuit, Minsk 1st Points Race, Minsk 3rd Scratch, Minsk 2nd Omnium, Cambridge 1st Omnium, Brisbane 2020 2020 UCI Track Cycling World Championships 1st Team pursuit 2nd Points race 2nd Scratch 2019–20 UCI Track Cycling World Cup 1st Omnium, Milton 1st Team pursuit, Milton 3rd Madison, Milton 2021 2020 Summer Olympics 1st Omnium 3rd Team pursuit 2021 UCI Track Cycling World Championships 3rd Scratch 3rd Elimination 2022 2022 UCI Track Cycling World Championships 1st Omnium 3rd Elimination 3rd Points race 2022 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup 1st Elimination, Milton 2nd Omnium, Milton 3rd Team pursuit, Milton 1st Omnium, Cali 1st Elimination, Cali 1st Madison, Cali 2022 UCI Track Champions League 1st 2022 UCI Track Champions League – Endurance Overall 2023 2023 UCI Track Cycling World Championships 1st Omnium 1st Scratch 3rd Elimination 2023 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup 1st Elimination, Cairo 2nd Elimination, Milton 3rd Omnium, Milton 2024 2024 Summer Olympics 1st Omnium 1st Team pursuit 2024 Pan American Track Cycling Championships 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Elimination 1st Madisonhttps://www.uci.org/competition-details/2024/PIS/72407 . Retrieved 15 August 2024. 2024 UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup 2nd Elimination, Adelaide 3rd Omnium, Adelaide 3rd Madison, Adelaidehttps://www.tissottiming.com/2024/ctrnci/schedule . Retrieved 15 August 2024. 1st Elimination, Milton 3rd Omnium, Milton 3rd Madison, Miltonhttps://www.tissottiming.com/2024/ctrnciii/schedule . Retrieved 15 August 2024. 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships 2nd Scratch 3rd Elimination
References
External links
Jennifer Valente at USA Cycling