Katy Marchant finds pride after missing Commonwealth medal

Katy Marchant refused to let Commonwealth Games disappointment overshadow her remarkable comeback after motherhood, insisting she is proud simply to be back competing at the highest level.

The 33-year-old Leeds cyclist was beaten by England team-mate Sophie Capewell in the quarter-finals of the individual sprint less than 24 hours after the pair had combined with Rhianna Parris-Smith to win team silver at Glasgow 2026. Capewell edged the first race by 0.075s before extending her winning margin to 0.354s to complete a 2-0 victory over her team-mate.

Marchant is competing in Glasgow less than a year after giving birth to her second son Walter, and remains determined to acknowledge the achievement of simply reaching the start line. "I promised myself I wouldn't stand here and say I'm disappointed because the last 11 months have been such a huge journey for me," she said. "It's one I've done before and one I understand well now. I know how important it is to trust the process because these things take time."

Marchant went toe-to-toe with Capewell, with whom she won Olympic team sprint gold at Paris 2024. Despite losing to her team-mate, she remains revelling in competing at her second Commonwealth Games and is no less competitive as she continues to ride at the highest level.

"It's hard to remember all the time but it's easy to get caught up in the competitiveness when you're on the track," she added. "You long for that feeling of winning again and I still have that hunger. That's what keeps me going every day and I'm thankful to have that feeling."

Marchant has placed particular emphasis on enjoying her comeback journey. "One promise I made to myself when I came back was that when I got on the start line I would smile," she explained. "My family have all been here watching and I want them to see me smiling as well. That's probably the main message I want them to take away—that Mum had a good time." She highlighted the importance of appreciating the opportunity to compete after 12 or 13 years in the sport. Marchant won team sprint bronze at Gold Coast 2018.