Katie Archibald inspired Great Britain to an emotional women’s team pursuit victory at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow on Saturday night.
Archibald joined up with Elinor Barker, Josie Knight and Anna Morris to beat New Zealand to gold in a time of four minutes 8.771 seconds, four and a half seconds up on their rivals, to give Britain a first world title in this event since 2014.
It was a fifth world title for Archibald, but perhaps the most significant. She has come into these championships, in her home velodrome, still grieving the death of her partner Rab Wardell, who suffered a cardiac arrest as he lay in bed at home a year ago.
Archibald had said she was determined to honour Wardell this week, and she surely did so with a powerful ride that belied a difficult build-up and helped make the difference in the final.
New Zealand were ahead on the time splits for much of the opening 1,500 metres, but a big turn from Knight nudged Britain in front before the midway point.
Archibald then put on the power to open up a two-second advantage before pulling off with a kilometre still to go, the result all but beyond doubt.
Archibald and Barker were both part of the team when Britain last won the women’s team pursuit world title nine years ago. They went on to Olympic glory in Rio before taking silver in Tokyo, but the rainbow jerseys in this flagship event eluded them.
“It is all coming out, this is the event,” Archibald said on BBC Sport. “Someone was talking about imposter syndrome the other day and you almost have it the other way round, we almost see ourselves as the best in the world.
“But we have not been on the top step since 2014, so to have that feeling validated, it feels good!”
Knight, who is Archibald’s housemate in Manchester, called her friend “phenomenal”.
“I see her ups and downs every day,” she said. “She’s had a really tough couple of weeks. I know her prep hasn’t been quite what she would have wanted. Usually she’s the real hero of this team. We’ve had to adapt and I’ve tried to step up, take that role on.
“But she is phenomenal. We all stepped up. And we’re world champions.”
Barker, who has shared so many moments with Archibald including Olympic gold in Rio, added: “Katie’s unbelievable. It’s really hard to summarise the year that she has had, how she feels about it, how we feel about it.
“Just the fact that she is here, it’s insane. I don’t really know how she does it to be honest.”
This is Barker’s first global track event since she became a mother after the last Olympics, and an extra special one as she was able to share the moment with sister Meg – who rode in Saturday morning’s first round – and Morris, who was in the same year as her at Llanishen High School in Cardiff.
Meg Barker had ridden the opening qualifier in place of Archibald, who is saving some of her energies for Sunday’s elimination race and the omnium in the coming days, a change to the original plan – with Elinor Barker now joining Neah Evans in Monday’s Madison.
In the men’s team pursuit, Denmark beat Italy to take the world title in a time of three minutes 45.161 seconds, two years to the day since Italy beat Denmark to gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
There were more gold medals for Britain’s para-cyclists. Sam Ruddock successfully defended his men’s C1 kilo title before Blaine Hunt took the C5 crown, with Jaco van Gass then beating team-mate Fin Graham to win the men’s C3 scratch race and his second rainbow jersey in as many days.
Llori Sharpe claims historic gold for Jamaica at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships
Olympic medalist Zharnel Hughes and Jamaican girlfriend Shenel Francis announce they are expecting their first child
Great Britain’s Olympic medalist Zharnel Hughes and his Jamaican girlfriend Shenel Francis are set to become parents, as the couple revealed their exciting news on Instagram. On Sunday, Shenel shared a photo of her advanced baby bump, confirming that the pair are eagerly expecting their first child together.
Shenel, a dental hygienist and entrepreneur, has been by Hughes' side throughout much of his record-breaking career. The couple has been together since at least 2018, though they only went public with their relationship in September 2022. Earlier this year, they took their relationship to the next level, moving in together in early March 2024.
Shenel, who graduated with honours in 2021 from the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica, is not only a dental professional but also a businesswoman. She launched her own luxury hand-poured scented candle brand, Esenek.co Candles, in 2021. The couple’s bond has been a strong source of support for Hughes, who has continued to achieve major milestones in his athletic career, including breaking the long-standing British 200m record in 2023.
Hughes, a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics as part of Team GB's 4x100m relay squad, has often spoken of Shenel's influence on his life. In a 2023 interview with GQ, Hughes mentioned how Shenel was present as he meditated before one of his historic races where he surpassed John Regis' 200m record, setting a new British mark of 19.73 seconds.
Before his relationship with Shenel, Hughes was linked to European sprint champion Dina Asher-Smith. However, his relationship with Shenel has flourished, with both supporting each other's professional and personal endeavors.
Even though he is a resident of Great Britain, Hughes, who attended Kingston College in Jamaica, purchased a home in Jamaica earlier this year.
Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) donates JMD$1 million to Jamaica Cycling Federation for equipment upgrade
The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has made a significant contribution to the development of cycling in Jamaica by donating JMD$1 million to the Jamaica Cycling Federation. The grant, aimed at boosting the sport’s progress, was used to purchase vital racing and training equipment, including state-of-the-art smart trainers.
The Jamaica Cycling Federation expressed its gratitude for the financial assistance, highlighting the importance of this investment in elevating the sport’s standards. Smart trainers have become increasingly popular in cycling programs worldwide due to their advanced capabilities, which are integral to modern training methods.
“These smart trainers are game changers,” said a spokesperson for the Federation. “They allow riders and coaches to approach training in a more scientific manner, offering features like measuring and tracking energy output, simulating race routes, and even enabling coaches to remotely access training data.”
This technological upgrade not only enhances training efficiency but also opens up new possibilities for coaches to closely monitor and optimize athletes' performance. The equipment's ability to simulate real-world racing conditions and provide accurate data on rider performance will help Jamaica’s cyclists prepare for international competition with cutting-edge tools.
The JOA's donation represents its ongoing commitment to supporting the development of underrepresented sports in Jamaica. “This contribution from the JOA is truly appreciated and confirms the continued support for the growth and development of sports like cycling,” the Federation said.
The equipment is expected to help Jamaica’s cyclists better prepare for regional and international competitions, as the nation continues to push for excellence across various sporting disciplines.
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