What started as a nightmare season for Anna Henderson has changed into probably the most memorable of her profession, as she gained herself an Olympic silver medal on Saturday.
The Brit got here again from two damaged collarbones earlier this yr to earn her place on the rostrum within the time trial in Paris. For Henderson, the feat was the fruit of months of “blood, sweat and tears” shed in a race again to health following her newest crash in April.
“I used to be just about again on my bike like three days after the surgical procedure,” she mentioned, “simply the second [collarbone break] mentally damage rather a lot. It actually took rather a lot to get again and get the motivation once more. I at all times had Paris on my thoughts, and that actually carried me by means of.”
In February, on her first race day of 2024, Henderson got here down in a crash and broke her left collarbone. She spent two months sidelined, earlier than returning to racing at Amstel Gold. She then repeated her damage a fortnight later on the Vuelta Femenina.
The second crash, she feared, might have put an finish to her Olympic dream. “It did cross my thoughts,” she mentioned. “It was a extremely low level in my season however I’ve actually bounced again shortly. I gained on the Nationals and had a extremely good experience on the Tour of Britain.
“I had a extremely good run into this with an altitude camp and every little thing. I am actually pleased with my kind right this moment, and actually pleased with my experience.”
On the end line on Paris’s Pont Alexandre III, riders crossed the road soaked by the rain, some with cuts on their knees from crashing.
“I did not realise how slippery it was on the market till I used to be on the course,” Henderson mentioned. “I believed, ‘I can lose an entire Olympic Video games in a single nook right here.'”
As an alternative, the 25-year-old rode with nice composure, staying upright on every of the 27 corners of the 32.4km course. “I actually took management and my coach did a extremely good job to maintain me calm right through and maintain pushing till the tip. Final yr, I used to be two seconds from bronze on the Worlds, so I am actually comfortable to be on the best facet of the seconds this time.”
Henderson’s household, boyfriend and former biking supervisor sat wearing plastic ponchos within the tribune on the ending straight, cheering for her within the pouring rain. It was to them, those that felt her ups and downs together with her this season, that Henderson was desperate to dedicate her efficiency.
“I am actually grateful of all people round me that acquired me right here and everybody that go me by means of right this moment,” she mentioned. “I do know I needed to simply flip the pedals, however there’s an entire, big group of those who acquired me right here and I am actually proud to be right here.”
