Olympic champ out of Paris after freak gardening accident
British two-time Olympic champion track cyclist Katie Archibald will miss the Paris Games after breaking two leg bones in a freak accident.
The 30-year-old Archibald fractured her tibia and fibula and dislocated an ankle when she tripped over a garden step.
She also substantially damaged ligaments during the incident on Wednesday and has since had surgery.
“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,” Archibald posted on Instagram alongside a photo of her in a hospital bed.
“Had surgery yesterday to pin the bones back together and reattach the ligaments. Then hopefully this afternoon I’ll be going home.”
Archibald won gold with Britain in team pursuit in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and won another gold five years later in the Olympic debut of the women's Madison alongside Laura Kenny in Tokyo.
This is the latest setback for her over the past two years.
Katie Archibald of Great Britain competes in the Women Scratch during the UCI Track Champions League last year.
She missed the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after colliding with a vehicle.
Her partner, mountain biker Rab Wardell, died suddenly the same year at 37.
Archibald has also won five golds at world championships and 20 at European championships.