Exclusive interview: Katie Archibald set for incredible Worlds return
From having 'spaghetti in a bag for a leg' to World Championships selection in three months
A family Whatsapp group in the Archibald household lights up in activity every time a major track championship comes around but what was relatively dormant during the Paris Olympics is set to see a flurry of positive activity later this month with news that Katie Archibald has made a miraculous recovery and earned selection for GB at the track Worlds.
Just over three months ago Archibald’s Olympic hopes were dashed after a freak accident in her garden left her with two broken bones in her leg and severe ligament damage. It looked like the double Olympic champion’s entire season had slipped away.
However, after a lengthy rehabilitation, the 30-year-old is set to race the Team Pursuit and the Madison in Denmark. As comebacks go it’s an incredible story and the Scottish star caught up with us to talk about her rehab, what she’s been through, and aims for the upcoming championships.
“It’s probably my happiest selection,” she says with a broad smile during our exclusive Zoom call.
“When you’re young you’ve not been grafting for that long to make something happen. I don’t think that you appreciate it that much, so my first World Championships selection was special but a bit ‘air-headed’, I suppose. This was something I really worked for but wasn’t guaranteed. It feels really good.”
The last three months have felt anything but ‘good’. At times Archibald had to wrestle with competing and extreme emotions - the pain of her accident; the immediate hope of wanting to return to competitive sport; the desperation to aim for the Olympics; and the complicated feelings that came over her when it was clear that even a Worlds spot wasn’t a certainty. Even for a rider who has endured so many highs and lows, the latest period has been tough to navigate. It’s taken unquestionable levels of resilience and perseverance.