Katie Archibald Claims Gold in Team Pursuit Return

Katie Archibald made a triumphant return to racing by winning gold in the team pursuit alongside teammates Megan Barker, Josie Knight and Anna Morris. The British quartet dominated the final in Ballerup, Denmark, establishing an impressive lead early on and overtaking their German rivals. Archibald’s victory comes after a challenging period having missed the 2024 Paris Olympics due to a broken leg from a freak accident.

Reflecting on her win, Katie Archibald told BBC Sport, “It feels good. It’s funny, I guess you don’t look your finest when you’re on your knees after a victory but that’s how you want to feel.” She described the buildup to the race as initially low-pressure, but moments before the event, her determination surged: “I really want this, and we all really wanted this. It was a fantastic race.”

Archibald expressed her joy at being back with her team, stating, “It’s feeling where you are meant to be… what a treat to be part of this squad. It is very special.” In the men’s team pursuit, Britain’s Ethan Hayter, Josh Charlton, Charlie Tanfield, and Ollie Wood narrowly missed gold, settling for silver as Denmark claimed victory on home turf. The British team started strong, leading at the 1000m mark but Denmark rallied with the crowd’s support to take the win.

In other events, Harry Ledingham-Horn from Great Britain finished fourth in the men’s keirin with Japan’s Kento Yamasaki winning gold. Japan also excelled in the men’s scratch race where Kazushige Kuboki took gold while Great Britain’s Noah Hobbs finished sixth. New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston secured gold in the women’s elimination race, adding to her bronze from the scratch event earlier in the week.