Katie Archibald “struggled with the pressure” after narrowly missing out on a medal in the women’s omnium to close the track events at the UCI Cycling World Championships.
Archibald came into the worlds on home turf in Glasgow still grieving her late partner Rab Wardell, who died suddenly at home last year, and had spoken of her desire to honour his memory in competition this week.
She did that and more as she helped Britain to women’s team pursuit gold at the weekend, and she then delivered an attacking performance in the points race to round out the omnium but was narrowly denied bronze by Belgium’s Lotte Kopecky as American Jennifer Valente successfully defended her title.
The two-time Olympic champion left nothing in reserve in the deciding points race, but had left herself with too much to do after mistakes in the tempo and elimination races midway through the competition, starting the final event down in eighth and hauling herself up to fourth.
“It’s nice to at least finish on a race where I feel like I’ve given it my all,” the 29-year-old said. “I’ve had this anxiety building since May, really, feeling like you’re going to be trotted out for slaughter. I thought once I got racing that maybe it would be OK.
“But the scratch race didn’t go to plan, the tempo went so far from what I wanted it, then I made a massive mistake in the elimination race – a passive mistake, which is more frustrating.
“I came off so low after the elimination but the pressure was gone then. I was at the bottom of the pack. I’ve struggled with the pressure.”
Having left herself with work to do, Archibald began the points race in determined fashion, launching her first big attack 15 laps into the race and needing only five laps to catch the back of the pack, picking up 20 points to vault into medal contention.
She launched another big move with 31 laps to go but this time dragged Denmark’s Amalie Dideriksen and Kopecky with her, keeping both of them ahead in the standings behind Valente.
Archibald tried another big attack going into the final sprint but Kopecky came around her before the line to take the bronze medal with 133 points to Archibald’s 127.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “Katie’s shown an incredible resilience. She’s had an incredibly tough year.
“For those of us who have found ourselves in those situations at different times, you know, just getting through the day and getting on with it again tomorrow is tough.
“I’m pleased that she’s felt the team and her team-mates have been able to help her with that feeling of family, love and support.
“But we so admire the resilience that she’s shown to get up every day, get back on the bike, get back into training and be in a position to turn up here, really get out and deliver her best – and to honour her former partner Rab – while recognising the support and love she’s had from across the country.
“This is just one step as she continues to grow, as she continues to grieve – and hopefully she continues towards Paris and LA. She’s a stand-out character, stand-out performer with some great team-mates around her.”
On this day 2013: Six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy announces retirement
Six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy announced his retirement from competitive cycling 11 years ago, admitting: “I know it is the right decision.”
The 37-year-old Scot had been contemplating continuing until the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but revealed he was quitting the sport at a press conference in Edinburgh on April 18, 2013.
Hoy was Britain’s most decorated Olympian after his haul of two gold medals at London 2012 saw him surpass rower Sir Steve Redgrave’s record of five, although he was overtaken by former team-mate Sir Jason Kenny in 2021.
In explaining his decision, Hoy said: “I think in sport at the highest level you’re dealing in such small margins and you can tell when you’re good but not good enough.
“It was very emotional coming in there (to the press conference) and I was trying not to watch the video montage with the sad music.
“I don’t want it to be a sad moment.
“I want to celebrate it and be happy because I know it is the right decision.
“It’s a decision that I didn’t take lightly and I thought about it very hard.”
As well as six Olympic titles, Hoy’s 13-year career featured 11 world titles and two Commonwealth crowns.
Hoy’s final race was the Olympic Keirin final on August 7, 2012 – on the final day of the London 2012 track programme.
Following retirement, Hoy pursued his passion for motorsport, including competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours, while he has also written children’s books.
In February 2024, the 48-year-old announced he was undergoing treatment for cancer.
Paul extends rich form with double gold; Browne, Campbell also among T&T's medals at PanAm Track Cycling Champs
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace cyclist Nicholas Paul continued his rich early season form as he wrapped up another double gold medal-winning outing at the just-concluded Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Los Angeles, California.
Paul’s medals were won in his customary events, the men's Keirin and Sprint, and followed his fairly successful outing at the UCI Championships in Hong Kong where he recovered from a two-cycle collision in the Keirin to win the Sprint.
The 23-year-old again expressed gratitude for the continued support as he represents the twin island republic with much gusto.
“It is always an honour to represent my country and the Pan American region. Thank you to everyone for all the love and continued support. The Journey continues and the next stop will be the Nations Cup in Milton, Canada. So, I just want to continue putting in the hard work and let it show in my performances,” Paul said.
In the Keirin, Paul topped Colombia’s Kevin Quintero, while another Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Kwesi Browne copped bronze.
However, it took a photo-finish to separate Paul and another Colombian Cristian Ortega for the Sprint crown. Paul bettered his South American rival in the first ride before edging ahead in the second ride on the line by millimeters to retain his title.
Meanwhile, Akil Campbell was also among the medals, as he won a bronze medal in the men's scratch race.
In other results at the meet, Alexi Ramirez finished eighth in the women's elimination race and in the women's scratch race, while Makaira Wallace and Phoebe Sandy placed 13th and 17th in the women's sprint qualification, respectively.
On this day in 2018: Scotland’s Katie Archibald wins Commonwealth Games gold
Scotland’s Katie Archibald added Commonwealth champion to her long list of accolades on this day in 2018.
Archibald, an Olympic, world and European champion in various disciplines, took gold in the women’s individual pursuit in Brisbane, having broken the Games record in a blistering qualifying session.
Her only previous Commonwealth medal was the bronze she won on home soil in the points race in Glasgow four years earlier.
Archibald, then aged 24, said before racing began gold was the only colour she wanted and swiftly delivered, covering the 3,000m distance in three minutes 26.088 seconds to beat Australian Rebecca Wiasak.
She had set the record at 3:24.119 in a qualifying session which saw three riders go under the previous record set by England’s Joanna Rowsell Shand in Glasgow.
“It means a lot, especially in the individual pursuit because it’s not an Olympic event,” said Archibald. “2014 always stands out as a big year for Joanna Rowsell to kind of echo, because she had the title and the Games record.
“You look at the success she carried from that point in her career. I’d be very proud.”
Fired up by his sister’s performance, Archibald’s brother John then added another medal to Scotland’s tally with silver in the men’s 4,000m individual pursuit as England’s Charlie Tanfield clinched gold.
“I watched her heat run and the pressure was on her,” said John Archibald.
“The Commonwealth Games record went and they all went better than her personal best so she had her back against the wall but she pulled out and delivered on the day and that got me going.”
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