FILE PHOTO: Cycling - UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Stab Velodrome, Roubaix, France - October 24, 2021 Great Britain's Katie Archibald celebrates with the silver medal on the podium after finishing second in the women's points race REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
(Reuters) - Double cycling Olympic champion Katie Archibald has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham because she needs to focus on fully recovering from a series of injuries, Team Scotland said on Wednesday.
Archibald won gold in the individual pursuit and silver in the points race at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
She was included in Team Scotland's squad for the July 28-Aug. 8 Games, but last month injured both her ankles after she was hit by a car. The 28-year-old also broke her collarbone and suffered a concussion at a World Cup event in May.
"I took two weeks off in January this year while recovering from shoulder surgery. That was a scheduled break," Archibald said in a statement.
"However since then I've managed to fit in, unscheduled: a back fracture, covid, a concussion, a broken collarbone, another surgery, and (the final cherry on top) two sprained ankles and a big ballooned leg.
"I've tried my hardest to keep my head up... but I'm just not coping. So with a very heavy heart I've decided to withdraw from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games."
Archibald's withdrawal will come as a big blow to Scotland, who won their most medals (10) in cycling at the 2018 Games.
(Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
