Evie Richards bounces back to clinch an emotional fifth place at Paris 2024

Cycling Mountain Bike 28 Jul 24

Nothing can stop Evie Richards' smile after a fifth place finish at Paris 2024.

The 27-year-old mountain biker has gone through the ringer in the last three months after suffering a nasty concussion in April that threatened to ruin her Games before they had even started.

Richards, the 2021 world champion, spent six weeks off the bike and only returned a month ago, where she was so uncompetitive she sobbed as she crossed the line in 30th place.

But in a remarkable turnaround, she finished in Paris just 25 seconds off an Olympic medal after a rapid last lap. With one lap more, she may even have bagged a bronze.

“I am so happy. I finished with the biggest smile on my face,” she said.

“The concussion was really bad. I banged my head really badly and there were times when it was really scary.

“I didn’t think I was going to get better, and make it to Paris. Even at the World Cup five weeks ago, I was in tears after the race.

“I didn’t know how I was going to compete in five weeks, so to finish strong and with a smile on my face is amazing.

“I am really happy but I have put in a hell of a lot of work in the past five weeks and that shows today.

“I never thought I could go from 30th to fifth at the Olympic Games in such a close space of time.”

Wearing the number 13, her dad’s lucky number, and with the Union Flag painted on her cheek in a homage to her 15-year-old self watching London 2012, Richards made a steady start.

She was ninth at the end of the first lap, eighth after the third and seventh after the fifth though her progress was helped by a horror crash for France’s Loana Lecomte, who was in the battle for third when she flipped over the top of her handlebars on a tricky downhill section.

But the day was a perfect showing for Richards, who had five family members loudly cheering her on from at the course, and another 10 at a local fan park.

“It is a completely different course, but it always is at the OIympics,” added Richards, who finished seventh at the Tokyo Games three years ago. “I had to be calm because it is so loose and it was easy to make small mistakes.

“It was so fast, so hot and so noisy you could not really think. I had a really clear plan of the race and I delivered that.

“I love it when I can play to my strengths. I didn’t want to be flagging at the end, I wanted to finish strong and show people I can push when I do attack.

“Another four years and hopefully a medal.”

Sportsbeat 2024

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