Kristin Armstrong - Background

Background

Prior to her professional cycling career, Armstrong had been a junior Olympian in swimming, a distance runner in college, and then became a triathlete. She spent many hours perfecting her strokes in the pool at the Boise Family YMCA, where she also served as Director of Aquatics, managing more than 50 lifeguards, swim instructors, and others. She was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both hips in 2001 at age 27, and told that she could no longer run at an elite level, thus ending her triathlon career and leading her to focus exclusively on cycling.

The three-time national champion finished 8th (top U.S. finisher) in the women's road race at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

At the 2008 Summer Olympics in China, Armstrong completed the biggest achievement of her career by winning the gold medal in the women's road time trial competition on August 13. Finishing in under 35 minutes, Armstrong was 25 seconds ahead of silver medalist Emma Pooley from Great Britain, with Karin Thürig from Switzerland taking the bronze.

Of Armstrong, Velonews wrote: "Kristin Armstrong is famous for both her success in bicycle racing, and the 'type-A' attention to detail that keeps her climbing the podium at critical races every season."

Armstrong announced at the end of 2010 that she would return to competitive cycling, with the goal of competing in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. In a written statement, she stated that her retirement was merely temporary in order to start a family. "I love cycling and I love competing. I stopped racing after the 2009 World Championships not because I was burned out, but because my husband and I wanted to start a family,” said Kristin Armstrong. "I told myself from the beginning if everything went smoothly with the birth of our son, Lucas William, I would consider racing again." Armstrong will be competing on a team she is a part owner of, Peanut Butter & Co. Team TWENTY12.

In 2011, Armstrong did indeed return with Peanut Butter & Co. Team TWENTY12. She won three of the four stages (criterium, road race and time trial) and the overall title during the Sea Otter Classic in April. However, during the first stage of the Tour of the Gila, which she had won twice previously, Armstrong came down with food poisoning. She ended up withdrawing from the race and returning home to recover.

She successfully defended her Olympic title in the individual time trial at the 2012 Olympics in London and became the oldest rider to win an Olympic time trial, and finished 35th in the Women's road race.

In September 2012, Armstrong's Olympic gold medal winning time trial bike was stolen while in transit between Germany and the USA.