CHARLESTON, W.V. -- Former Big Red athlete Taylor Knibb '20 shocked the competition on Wednesday, winning her first elite women's trial national title at the USA Cycling Pro Road Championships. With her victory, Knibb has secured a spot with USA Cycling for the Paris Olympic Games. 

Knibb, who finished fourth in the event last year held in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, finished 11 seconds ahead of one of the favorites in Kristen Faulkner with a final time of 41:54 to secure a spot on the USA Cycling team for the first time in her storied Olympic career. It will not be the only event the Cornellian will compete in for the Stars and Stripes in Paris. Last September, Knibb posted the third-fastest final 10k to shoot up 18 spots to finish fifth in the World Triathlon Olympics Games Test Event. As the highest-finishing American, Knibb punched her ticket to the Summer Olympiad as a member of the U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team for the second time in her career, as she became the youngest U.S. woman to qualify for the team for the 2020 pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympic Games in Japan.

"I'll be perfectly honest, I'm just in shock. Last year was hard for the TT [National Championship]. And there are so many incredible riders out here, it was such an incredible day riding with them," Knibb told Cycling News immediately after the race. 

With her victory and qualification, Knibb also made some Cornell history. The 2020 graduate is the first Cornell Olympian to qualify in multiple sports since Lee Talbott competed in tug-of-war, wrestling, and track and field at the 1908 Games in London. 

Knibb will now set her sights on continuing to prepare for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which begins with the opening ceremonies on July 26, 2024.

A three-sport athlete during her time for the Big Red, Knibb competed for the cross country, track and field, and swimming and diving teams. A first team All-Ivy honoree in cross country, Knibb qualified for the NCAA Cross Country National Championships twice, finishing 109th in 2018 and 125th in 2019. She also competed in multiple distance events for the track and field and swimming and diving teams, including the mile and 1000m freestyle.