“I’m finally back for Nationals, and ready to rebuild” – Britain’s golden rider Katie Archibald ready to put Paris Olympic injury behind her

Katie Archibald, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, is making her return to the British National Track Championships after a six-year absence. The 30-year-old missed last year’s Olympic Games due to a freak accident in which she broke bones in her leg after a garden fall. Archibald, who won gold in the team pursuit in Rio and the Madison in Tokyo, is also a six-time world champion and a 20-time European champion.

Reflecting on her long absence, Archibald shared her thoughts with Cycling Weekly. “I really don’t know how this has happened,” she said. “I kind of saw myself as someone that really loved riding Nationals, it’s my favourite thing to turn up to, and it’s always meant it’s got this real big, emotional attachment to it."

Archibald emphasised the importance of the British National Track Championships as a stepping stone for many riders. “For so many people that’s your breakthrough," she said, "because as an amateur you can turn up to Nationals and beat and it’s nice to be part of that journey for other people, I suppose, or to defend your stature as somebody that made it."

Despite her success, other priorities have kept Archibald away from the competition in recent years. “The way things have conspired, there’s always been something else to prioritise. Perhaps it’s a reflection of a good reset that I’m finally back for Nationals, and ready to rebuild.”

Archibald has undergone a significant break and reassessment of her long-term goals. “I’ve had a big break, and a big sort of reassessment of long-term goals,” she explained. “I’m in this sweet spot where I’ve got no intention in terms of tackling a massive road season. All of my goals are in the latter half of the year, around Worlds in October and the winter TCL."

For Archibald, the Nationals represent an opportunity to reconnect with her roots. “I guess I want to be able to race the Nationals to – this sounds really cheesy – reconnect to what it was like before, when this would have been the main goal of my season. I’m looking forward to it.”

She acknowledges the demands of the Olympic cycle but remains focused on her ultimate goal. “I guess it’s just a standard pattern of the Olympic cycle that you dedicate your resources into the pointy end,” she said. “I know really clearly that I want to go to the LA games.

"But you can’t pull a foot over the bed and think every day about something that’s four years away. The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2026 is a really, really exciting thing in my season planning for the next two years on.”

In addition to her track ambitions, Archibald has been enjoying mountain biking. “If I’m honest, a lot of what I’ve been doing is riding my mountain bike,” she said. “So I’m playing around with the idea of entering some of the local cross country races to see how that can buttress my season.”

Archibald’s return to the Nationals marks a significant moment in her career, as she seeks to build towards the World Championships later this year and ultimately, the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.