Lawson Craddock, Ruth Winder, and others named to U.S. team for 2021 Olympics

USA Cycling Thursday finalized the roster for the 2021 Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo, Japan beginning next month.

Already having secured their positions on Team USA and automatically qualified for the Olympics are Kate Courtney, Haley Batten, Chloe Dygert, Jennifer Valente, Emma White, Megan Jastrab, and Lily Williams.

“Announcing this team is a testament to everyone’s immense dedication and hard work over many years, especially during one of the most challenging periods of our lifetime,” said Jim Miller, USA Cycling’s Chief of Sport Performance. “We have used the extra year with the goal to come to the Games even stronger and more prepared, and I believe we have done just that. We are bringing a medal-capable team in all disciplines and it will show this summer in Tokyo.”

Filling out the roster is a smattering of new Olympians and veterans, all of whom were named to the team through discretionary selections.

Leading the U.S. women into the road race is current U.S. champion Ruth Winder, herself a veteran from the 2016 Olympics in track cycling. Joining Winder are first-time olympians Leah Thomas and Coryn Rivera, as well as Dygert, who is racing the road race, the individual time trial, and the Team Pursuit event on the track.

Dygert is one of the top favorites to medal in the individual time trial, and she will be joined by veteran U.S. racer Amben Neben, who represented the U.S. at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Neben, now 46, won the UCI world championships in the event back in 2016.

First-time olympians Lawson Craddock and Brandon McNulty round out the U.S. road squad, as both men will compete in the individual time trial as well as the road race.

In cross-country mountain-bike racing, Batten and Courtney will be joined by Chloe Woodruff, the 2019 U.S. national cross-country champion. Woodruff attended the 2016 Olympics and was named to the team as a discretionary selection. Up-and-coming racer Christopher Blevins of Durango, Colorado earned the country’s sole men’s spot for the games.

The U.S. will send two men’s riders for the track events: Gavin Hoover and Adrian Hegyvary. The two will compete in the Madison event together, and Hoover will also race the Omnium event, a competition comprised of four different races.

Dygert headlines the U.S. track team alongside fellow veteran Jennifer Valente, who will compete in three events: the Team Pursuit, Omnium, and Madison event, where she will be teamed up with 2019 junior world road champion Megan Jastrab. Valente is the captain of the women’s Team Pursuit squad, who are reigning UCI world champions. Emma White, Dygert, and Lily Williams will also race on that squad.

There are nine total riders competing in the BMX events, and this year BMX Freestyle joins BMX Racing as an Olympic event. Connor Fields, Corben Sharrah, Payton Ridenour, Felicia Stancil and Alise Willoughby will compete in BMX Racing, while Hannah Roberts, Perris Benegas, Justin Dowell, and Nick Bruce will represent the U.S. in BMX Freestyle.

USA Cycling Roster for Olympic Games

Women’s track
Chloé Dygert
Maddie Godby
Megan Jastrab
Jennifer Valente
Emma White
Lily Williams

Men’s track
Gavin Hoover
Adrian Hegyvary

Women’s road
Ruth Winder
Leah Thomas
Coryn Rivera
Chloé Dygert
Amber Neben

Women’s time trial
Chloé Dygert
Amber Neben

Men’s road
Lawson Craddock
Brandon McNulty

Men’s time trial
Lawson Craddock
Brandon McNulty

Women’s mountain bike
Kate Courtney
Haley Batten
Chloe Woodruff

Men’s mountain bike
Christopher Blevins

Women’s BMX
Perris Benegas
Hannah Roberts
Payton Ridenour
Felicia Stancil
Alise Willoughby

Men’s BMX
Nick Bruce
Justin Dowell
Connor Fields
Corben Sharrah