"You’re waiting to be trotted out for slaughter" - Katie Archibald admits struggles dealing with pressure of home World Championships

Heading into the 2023 Glasgow World Championships, 29-year-old Brit Katie Archibald was positioned as one of the faces of the Track Cycling portion of the event. Sadly she was unable to celebrate a medal in the women's omnium.

Having grown up riding and learning her craft in the very same velodrome, Archibald admits she felt the pressure of being the home favourite. “It’s not just a loss, but it’s a frustration with yourself,” Archibald said after the Omnium. “Obviously I’m frustrated about how I went through the event as a whole. But it’s nicer to finish on a race where I feel like I’ve given it my all.”

“It was just mistake after mistake,” she explained after finishing in fourth overall. “I’ve had this anxiety building, since May really, feeling like you’re waiting to be trotted out for slaughter. And I thought, ‘Well, once I get racing, it’ll be ok.’ And the Scratch didn’t go to plan. I’ve struggled with the pressure. To come in with form like this, it’s never one thing, and I can’t blame it on one thing. But I’ve obviously made a series of mistakes, and maybe done two proper things in a Points race, and that weighed out to fourth.”

“What’s funny is that now I feel fine, I guess because I’m a bit dejected,” she says glumly. “I cry all the time, like at everything, mainly happy things. So when you feel disappointed with a race, it’s quite a mellow sense of sadness, compared to the bigger things we all deal with in life.”

“This event was so special, and maybe that’s part of what’s gotten to me. I think I’ve probably put too much on it," concludes Archibald. "Just as a fan, I’ve loved it, I’ve loved every moment. I put too much of my heart into my head, and that seemed to sort of stall my legs.”