As the track cycling season approaches, Olympic champion Katie Archibald has spoken of her determination not to fall into the trap of relying on her Rio experiences as she and her team-mates target further success in Tokyo next summer.
Archibald was part of the team which won team pursuit gold in Rio and has remained a mainstay of the British team in the three years since.
But not one to be complacent, Archibald knows how important it is to ensure she and her teammates continue improve if they want to add to their Olympic medal haul.
“Our preparations for that Games weren’t perfect, but we did win, so it can be quite an easy barometer to use in terms of measuring how you feel against this time four years ago," she said. "I think that’s an error, though. Obviously I’m a different athlete, we’re a different team and we’ve got different aspirations, so it’s important not to just try to repeat yourself.”
Archibald will be targeting the team pursuit and madison in Tokyo and admits that focusing on only two events should help her performance. "I’ve shifted my focus from the omnium to ensure that the other two are realistic ambitions, because we are a nation that aims for gold medals. I still feel good about that decision.”
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