Katie Archibald's Olympic Dream Dashed by Garden Accident

Katie Archibald, a double Olympic gold medallist British cyclist, will not compete in the upcoming Paris Games after suffering a severe leg injury in a freak accident. Archibald, 30, fractured two bones and tore ligaments off the bone when she tripped over a step in her garden. In an Instagram post on Thursday, Archibald revealed the extent of her injuries and the subsequent surgery she underwent to repair the damage. She described the incident as a bizarre mishap where she dislocated her ankle, broke her tibia and fibula, and tore ligaments.

“I tripped over a step in the garden and managed to, somehow, dislocate my ankle; break my tibia and fibula; and rip two ligaments off the bone. What the heck,” said Archibald. Archibald had ambitious plans to compete in three cycling events—team pursuit, madison, and omnium—at the Games. She had previously won gold in the women’s team pursuit at Rio 2016, silver in Tokyo 2020, and gold in the madison.

Expressing gratitude to the medical team at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Archibald acknowledged the disappointment of missing out on the Olympics and confirmed that she won’t be part of the Olympic team due to her injury. British Cycling expressed sadness over Archibald’s misfortune, emphasizing their support for her recovery and acknowledging her dedication to cycling and pursuit of Olympic medals.

“We share in Katie’s heartbreak over her injury, and the cruel manner in which she has been denied the chance to ride for the medals she so coveted in Paris,” read British Cycling’s statement. “Our focus is now on providing Katie with the best possible support as she begins her recovery, and we know that the whole cycling community will be right behind her for every step.”