‘Excitement and nerves’ for Archibald as Games loom

Commonwealth Games

Katie Archibald can still see herself scurrying down the road to bronze in the Commonwealth Games’ final race in Glasgow.

She can still hear the crowd and feel the emotions she had when she was a 20-year-old at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in 2014. She describes the out-of-body experience in “a little vignette.”

“I can watch myself riding,” Archibald tells BBC Sport Scotland.

“Just pedaling as hard as I can because this is my favorite race at home.” I’m looking forward to getting another chance at that.

The Scot has had a lifetime of joy and sorrow over the past ten years, but when the event returns to her hometown next summer, she hopes to get some of the same.

However, the Glasgow native refuses to get too excited about the prospect of her recent run of terrible luck with injuries, having to withdraw from the Birmingham Games in 2022 and the Olympics two years later just before the events.

The 31-year-old double Olympic gold medalist said, “You get this little mix of excitement and nerves with any of these events.”

I feel all butterflies right now because this serves as a sort of landmark for the biggest race day scheduled for 2026.

There’s something in my chest that just makes me a little anxious because I was hit by a car before Birmingham and didn’t make it to the Games.

Bell made it to Birmingham, but he did so in 2014 as a promising track and field competitor. In fact, her most memorable memory is Hampden’s heptathlon rather than anything from the Velodrome.

She is determined to recover that loss from the 2022 sprint, team sprint, and keirin medals.

She said, “I’m definitely pushing for a medal, and I believe that’s a reasonable goal.” With more experience, I’ve been getting better and my training is going well.