Katie Archibald

Katie Archibald (born 12 March 1994) is a former elite racing cyclist, specialising in endurance track cycling events in which she represented Great Britain and Scotland.

A member of the Great Britain 2016 Olympic champion and 2020 Olympic silver medallists team in women's team pursuit, she was a champion in the same event at both the World (2014, 2023, 2024) and European (2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2026) championships and current world record holder. She won her second Olympic gold medal in the inaugural women's Madison race at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo with her partner, Laura Kenny.

Individually, Archibald has been European champion in the elimination race in 2015, four times in the omnium in 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2023, in the scratch race in 2021, the women's Madison twice in 2021 and 2023 and a four time European champion in the individual pursuit between 2014 and 2017. In 2017 she secured her first individual global title, winning the Omnium at the 2017 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and won a third world championship the following year when partnering Emily Nelson to win the Madison at the 2018 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. In 2021 she won her second individual world title, with a second world Omnium title.

Archibald's 21 gold medals in European elite track championships is an all-time record for that championships.

On 12 May 2026, Archibald announced her retirement from the sport, despite having been previously selected to represent Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games. She confirmed that following the end of her cycling career, she was in training to qualify as a nurse .

Early life and career Archibald was privately educated at The Glasgow Academy. She has a sporting background in swimming and took up cycling relatively late, taking it up competitively in 2011 on the grass track and in 2012 on hard track. she was recruited into British Cycling's Olympic Development Academy in November 2013.

At the 2013–14 Track World Cup first round in Manchester, while riding for the Scottish Braveheart team, Archibald claimed silver in the scratch race and bronze in the points race. Recalled to the Great Britain team for the 2013–14 Track World Cup second round in Aguascalientes, Archibald was part of the quartet that won gold and broke the world record again in the team pursuit competition.

She then became Scotland's first female track cycling world champion, when she was part of the team that won the team pursuit title at the 2014 World Track Championships. Archibald won the gold medal in the same event, and another in the individual pursuit, at the 2014 European Track Championships. Archibald represented Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 2014, as she claimed a bronze medal in the points race.

Archibald at the 2015 UEC European Track Championships, where she won three gold medals. At the 2015 European Track Championships, Archibald became a triple European champion, retaining the team pursuit and individual pursuit titles she won in 2014, while adding the elimination race title.

Archibald returned to competition at the European Championships winning the omnium and for the third year in a row the pursuit and claimed the silver medal in the elimination race. At the Six days of London event, Archibald won eight of the ten races to secure the women's omnium title with 15 points. Archibald then returned to Glasgow for the World Cup event, where she partnered Manon Lloyd to win the Madison event, but broke her wrist in an early fall whilst changing with Lloyd. Archibald returned from injury to finish second at the Six Days of Berlin, and followed it up by winning four titles at the national championships. At the final of the Six Day series in Mallorca, Archibald finished runner up to her team pursuit teammate Elinor Barker. Archibald then capped her track season by winning her first individual world title in the Omnium.

Archibald retained her Individual Pursuit and Omnium titles at the European Championships and was also part of the team that took the silver medal in the team pursuit.

Archibald was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to cycling.

Archibald was chosen to be part of the UK's cycling squad at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics where she was joined by Elinor Barker, Neah Evans, Laura Kenny and Josie Knight for the endurance races. She returned with a silver medal in the Women's team pursuit, but shared the inaugural gold medal in Women's Madison with Laura Kenny. In October 2021 Archibald was selected for the European Track cycling championships, winning her 15th and 16th gold medals in the Scratch race and Omnium to become the elite events most successful ever competitor. In June 2024, Archibald was ruled out of the upcoming Olympics in Paris. Archibald broke two bones in her leg and tore ligaments off the bone after falling over a step in her garden in a “freak accident.” She made her return to the track in October at the 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Denmark.

At the 2025 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Archibald finished second in the elimination race. She then won the world madison title alongside Maddie Leech.

At the 2026 European Championships in Konya, Archibald was a member of the British line-up who won the gold medal in the team pursuit. The team consisting of Archibald, Morris, Knight and Millie Couzens also set a new world record of 4:02.808 in the final against Germany. Later in the championships. she won a silver medal in the madison with Morris.

Road Her road cycling team Podium Ambition, formerly Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, turned professional for the start of the 2016 UCI Women's World Tour. She, along with team-mates Sarah Storey and Joanna Rowsell, were the first riders to be named in the new line-up. Archibald joined Sheffield based Team WNT Pro Cycling for the 2017 season. During the 2017 season, Archibald finished third on stage three and four of the Semana Ciclista Valenciana. In the domestic Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series, Archibald won round 2 in Stoke-on-Trent and finished second in the opening event in Redditch. Archibald finished second in the national road race championship and third in the British time trial championships on the Isle of Man, before taking the circuit racing championship in Sheffield.

For the 2018 season Archibald decided to join Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling.

Personal life Archibald's partner, Scottish racing cyclist Rab Wardell, died on 23 August 2022; she revealed she had unsuccessfully tried to save his life as he entered cardiac arrest in bed beside her.

Her brother, John, is also an elite cyclist who has represented Great Britain and Scotland. Both won medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games representing Scotland; Katie won gold in the women's individual pursuit and John silver in the men's.

She is a cousin of Leyton Orient player Theo Archibald.

Major results Source: Road

2014 1st Milk Race Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series 1st Stages 1 & 3 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships 3rd Overall British Cycling Women's Road Series 1st Cheshire Classic 1st Curlew Cup Commonwealth Games 5th Time trial 7th Road race 2015 1st London Nocturne 1st Stage 2 Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series 2017 National Road Championships 1st Criterium 2nd Road race 3rd Time trial 2018 3rd Overall BeNe Ladies Tour 1st Prologue 4th Time trial, Commonwealth Games 2022 4th Overall Bloeizone Fryslân Tour

Track

2012 National Junior Championships 1st Individual pursuit 2nd Points race 2013 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Championships International Belgian Open 1st Points race 2nd Individual pursuit National Championships 2nd Madison (with Charline Joiner) 3rd Individual pursuit UCI World Cup 1st Team pursuit, Aguascalientes 2nd Scratch, Manchester 3rd Individual pursuit, Manchester 2014 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships UEC European Championships 1st Team pursuit 1st Individual pursuit National Championships 1st Individual pursuit 2nd Team pursuit 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Cup, London Revolution 1st Points race, Manchester 2nd Omnium, London 2nd Points race, Manchester 3rd Omnium, London 2nd Omnium, Fenioux Piste International

2015 UEC European Championships

National Championships 1st Team pursuit 2nd Individual pursuit 2nd Scratch 2nd Points race 1st Omnium, Internationale Radsport Meeting Revolution 1st Scratch, Derby 2nd Points race, Manchester 2nd Points race, London 2nd Scratch, Glasgow 3rd Points race, Manchester 3rd Points race, Glasgow 3rd Scratch, London

3rd Team pursuit, UCI World Cup, Cali 2016

UEC European Championships 1st Individual pursuit 1st Omnium

1st Madison, UCI World Cup, Glasgow (with Manon Lloyd) 1st Omnium, Six Days of London 2nd Omnium, Fenioux Piste International 2nd Points race, Revolution, Glasgow 2017 1st Omnium, UCI World Championships UEC European Championships 1st Individual pursuit 1st Omnium

National Championships 1st Individual pursuit 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Omnium 2nd Keirin UCI World Cup 1st Madison, Manchester (with Elinor Barker) 1st Madison, Milton (with Ellie Dickinson) 1st Points race, Milton 1st Team pursuit, Manchester 2nd Omnium, Manchester International Cycling Meeting 1st Madison (with Ellie Dickinson) 1st Omnium Six Days of Fiorenzuola 1st Madison (with Emily Nelson) 1st Omnium 1st Points race 1st Scratch 1st Overall Six Days of London 1st Omnium 2nd Madison (with Lydia Boylan) 3rd Scratch Round 1, Revolution Series Champions League 1st Points race 1st Scratch 2nd Omnium, Six Days of Berlin 2nd Omnium, Six Day Final, Mallorca 2018 UCI World Championships 1st Madison (with Emily Nelson)

Commonwealth Games

UEC European Championships 1st Team pursuit

UCI World Cup 1st Madison, Milton (with Elinor Barker) 1st Team pursuit, Milton 1st Omnium, Berlin 1st Team pursuit, Berlin 1st Madison, London (with Laura Kenny) 1st Team pursuit, London National Championships 1st Individual pursuit 1st Scratch 1st Points race 1st Madison (with Elinor Barker) 3rd Sprint Round 3, Revolution Series Champions League 1st Scratch 2nd Points race 2019 UEC European Championships 1st Team pursuit

National Championships 1st Individual pursuit 3rd Points race 3rd Scratch 3rd Sprint UCI World Cup, Glasgow 1st Team pursuit 2nd Madison (with Elinor Barker) Six Day Manchester 1st Madison (with Neah Evans) 1st Omnium 1st Omnium, Six Day Finals – Brisbane 6 Giorni delle Rose – Fiorenzuola 1st Madison 2nd Omnium Orlen Grand Prix 1st Madison (with Neah Evans) 1st Points race Six Day London 1st Madison (with Neah Evans) 1st Omnium 2nd Scratch

2020 UEC European Championships 1st Points race 1st Team pursuit

2021 Olympic Games

UCI World Championships 1st Omnium

UEC European Championships 1st Omnium 1st Madison (with Neah Evans) 1st Scratch race

1st Elimination, Palma 1st Scratch, Panevėžys 1st Elimination, Panevėžys 1st Elimination, London I 1st Elimination, London II 2nd Scratch, London II 3rd Scratch, London I 2022

2nd Team pursuit, UCI Nations Cup, Glasgow 2nd Overall Endurance, UCI Champions League 1st Scratch, Palma 1st Scratch, Berlin 1st Elimination, Berlin 1st Elimination, Paris 1st Elimination, London II 2nd Scratch, Paris 2nd Scratch, London I 3rd Scratch, London II 2023 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships UEC European Championships 1st Omnium 1st Team pursuit 1st Madison (with Elinor Barker) UCI Nations Cup, Milton 1st Omnium 1st Team pursuit 2nd Madison (with Neah Evans)

1st Elimination, Palma 1st Elimination, Berlin 1st Elimination, Paris 1st Elimination, London I 2nd Scratch, Palma 3rd Scratch, Paris 3rd Elimination, London II 2024 UCI World Championships 1st Team pursuit

UCI Nations Cup 1st Madison, Adelaide (with Elinor Barker) 1st Madison, Milton (with Neah Evans) 1st Omnium, Milton 1st Team pursuit, Milton 2nd Omnium, Adelaide 2nd Team pursuit, Adelaide

1st Scratch, Paris 1st Elimination, Paris 1st Elimination, Apeldoorn II 1st Scratch, London II 2nd Scratch, Apeldoorn I 2nd Elimination, Apeldoorn I 2nd Scratch, London I 2nd Elimination, London II 2025 UCI World Championships 1st Madison (with Maddie Leech)

National Championships 1st Points race 2nd Scratch 2026 UEC European Championships 1st Team pursuit

Championships timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish NH Not held IP In progress