Multiple Olympic gold medallist Katie Archibald is hanging up the cleats. After more than a decade as one of Britain’s dominant track riders, Archibald said Tuesday she is stepping away from elite racing.
“I’m retiring, so please indulge this slightly long and soppy post,” Archibald, began on Instagram,
Although the 32-year-old recently started nursing studies, she explained the move away from cycling had been building for some time.
Moving on, but still loves cycling
“I still love racing my bike,” Archibald, wrote. “After 13 years on the international circuit, and honestly, a lifetime of competing with my big brother John, I’ve decided it’s time to move on from that chapter.” (Her brother is also a former pro cyclist, having won the individual pursuit at the Commonwealth Games.)
Among her many results, her biggest successes came at the Olympics, where she won team pursuit gold in Rio. She also won the madison in Tokyo with Laura Kenny.
Archibald, who was born in Chertsey, Surrey, also helped power Great Britain to multiple world and European team pursuit titles while setting the world record in the event. Individually, Archibald collected rainbow jerseys in the omnium and madison, plus a whopping 21 European elite track championship gold medals.
For years, she assumed cycling would decide when her career ended, not the other way around.
“At some point, I understood nobody was going to make that call for me,” she said. “And that’s been a surprisingly difficult thing to come to terms with.”
She added that nursing has given her “a genuine excitement for what’s next,” making the transition away from racing feel less daunting. In her final years, she also raced for Ceratizit Pro Cycling, the same team Victoria’s Sarah Van Dam raced with in 2025. Although she didn’t have quite the same results on the road, Archibald had several top finishes in European races.
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