Three-time Olympic medallist and Commonwealth Games champion Katie Archibald MBE, has today announced her retirement from cycling, bringing to a close a career that saw her collect an incredible 51 medals at world, European, Commonwealth and Olympic level. 

Bronze medallist in the Points Race at Glasgow 2014, Katie stepped up in style at her second Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, winning gold in the Individual Pursuit and silver in the Points Race. 

Her Individual Pursuit gold came on a special night as her brother John took silver in the men’s event, making them the first brother and sister to win Commonwealth Games medals for Scotland on the same day. 

Olympic gold medallist in 2016, adding gold and silver at Tokyo 2020, and a seven-time World Champion, Katie established herself as a force to be reckoned with over a 13-year period at the top of her sport, from the first of an astonishing 21 European titles in 2013 to her most recent in February this year.  

Announcing her retirement she said: 

“I love racing my bike. After 13 years competing on the international stage, and a lifetime competing against my big brother, I’ve decided to retire from the former.  

“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. “ 

It was at the European Championships that she made her mark on the international scene, winning Team Pursuit gold in World Record time alongside Dame Laura Kenny, Elinor Barker MBE and Dani King MBE in 2013, but it was her podium finish at Glasgow 2014 a year later that she cites as one of her career highlights. 

“My first major solo medal was a bronze in the Commonwealth Games points race in Glasgow, 2014,” she says. “It came down to the final sprint, and I feel like I can still go back into my body for that last lap and remember what it was like to try harder than I ever had before. Every thought disappeared. It was like I didn’t have a brain anymore; I just existed as a body – and it felt incredible.” 

Beyond her achievements on the bike, throughout her career Katie has been an advocate for cycling, particularly for women and girls. She is also proud of having been a trailblazer for the women’s Madison, an event only introduced to world and Olympic programmes in late 2016. 

While this summer will no longer include competing at Glasgow 2026, for which she had been pre-selected, she turns her attention to another passion. She began training to be a nurse last September and has “fallen completely in love with the whole thing.” 

“I really want to stress that the nursing training isn’t forcing me into retirement. At the same time, this thing that I’m just enamoured with is making me excited for the future, and that makes this transition less scary.  

“The draw of the ‘real world’ has been pulling me for a while, but I’ve been too scared to leave the world I know and love and, ultimately, to let go of something I’m good at. Well, it’s not a very clean answer, but now is the right time simply because I’m not scared anymore. can’t claim to know why that is, but for some reason I only have a craving to live the life I’ve been saving for a rainy day, and no fear that I’ll miss the sunshine It’s simply time.” 

Elinor Middlemiss MBE, Team Scotland Chef de Mission, said, “Katie has made an outstanding contribution to Team Scotland and to cycling over her entire career. She’s achieved things she may not have even considered possible when she started out and, while we are sad that we won’t be seeing her race for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2026, we support her decision entirely. 

“We wish Katie the very best in the next chapter of her life as she completes her nursing degree. She is an inspiration, not only for what she has achieved, but how she has done it and is a fantastic ambassador for her family, her sport and for Scotland.”