Double Olympic champion Katie Archibald is closing the door on a titanic career after announcing her retirement from international track cycling.
Over the past 13 years, the Scot has cemented herself as one of Britain's leading endurance athletes and retires from the sport aged 32, as a seven-time world champion, 21-time European champion and world record holder.
Archibald joined the British Cycling programme in 2013 after initially taking up the sport socially and made her Olympic bow three years later at Rio 2016 where she won team pursuit gold alongside Dame Laura Kenny, Elinor Barker and Joanna Rowsell.
Five years later she won the first-ever women’s Madison title alongside Kenny at Tokyo 2020 as well as adding team pursuit silver.
Despite missing out on Paris 2024 due to injury, Archibald has continued to be a standout member of the British Cycling squad, and will close the doors on her sporting career with a staggering 51 international medals.
“After 13 years competing on the international stage, and a lifetime competing against my big brother, I’ve decided to retire from the former," she said.
“Being part of the Great Britain Cycling Team has meant being part of something bigger than myself, and it’s been a true honour to race my bike alongside the best in the country.
“The things I’m grateful for across my career are that I’ve gotten to learn so much, see so much, and meet so many incredible people. But I also feel confident I’ll keep learning, I’ll keep seeing the world, I’ll keep meeting incredible people.
“I’m not hoping for a grand legacy, but I hope I’ve made an impact on the individuals I’ve worked with. I suppose that’s the same ‘legacy’ we all have in our day-to-day lives, but it still feels valuable. They’ve all made an impact on me."
As Scotland's greatest ever female cyclist, Archibald is sure to leave behind a legacy most could only dream of, but she is not stopping there.
The cyclist turned her attention to nursing in 2025, having enrolled as a student at Glasgow Caledonian University and is now relishing the opportunity to chase a new dream as she hangs up her wheels.
She said: “I've fallen completely in love with the whole thing. It feels so special being someone people can trust when they need help.”
Sportsbeat 2026