Olympic Champion Track Cyclist Katie Archibald to Miss Paris Games after Freak Accident

 Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
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Olympic Champion Track Cyclist Katie Archibald to Miss Paris Games after Freak Accident

 Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)
Katie Archibald of Great Britain reacts after winning the women’s omnium points race at the UEC track cycling elite European championships, at the Velodrome Suisse, in Grenchen, Switzerland, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

British two-time Olympic champion track cyclist Katie Archibald will miss the Paris Games after breaking two leg bones in a freak accident.

The 30-year-old Archibald fractured her tibia and fibula and dislocated an ankle when she tripped over a garden step.

She also sustained substantial ligament damage during the incident on Tuesday and has since undergone surgery.

“I tripped over a step in the garden and managed to, somehow, dislocate my ankle; break my tibia and fibula; and rip two ligaments off the bone,” Archibald posted on Instagram on Thursday alongside a photo of her in a hospital bed, The Associated Press reported.

“Had surgery yesterday to pin the bones back together and reattach the ligaments. Then hopefully this afternoon I’ll be going home.”

Archibald won gold with Britain in team pursuit in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and won another gold five years later in the Olympic debut of the women's Madison alongside Laura Kenny in Tokyo.

This is the latest setback for her over the past two years.

She missed the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after colliding with a vehicle. Her partner, mountain biker Rab Wardell, died suddenly the same year at 37.

Archibald has also won five golds at world championships and 20 at European championships.



The Camera Never Lies: Electronic Line Calls in Focus Again as Zverev Takes Photo of Ball Mark 

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 27, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev takes a picture of the court with a phone during his round of 32 match against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 27, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev takes a picture of the court with a phone during his round of 32 match against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. (Reuters)
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The Camera Never Lies: Electronic Line Calls in Focus Again as Zverev Takes Photo of Ball Mark 

Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 27, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev takes a picture of the court with a phone during his round of 32 match against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. (Reuters)
Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - April 27, 2025 Germany's Alexander Zverev takes a picture of the court with a phone during his round of 32 match against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. (Reuters)

Alexander Zverev is convinced there was a defect in the electronic line calling system during his Madrid Open win on Sunday after the German risked a hefty fine by pulling out his phone to take a photograph of a contested call.

The top seed overcame Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 2-6 7-6(3) 7-6(0) to reach the last 16 of the claycourt tournament but was frustrated by an incident in the second set when a backhand from his opponent was called in by the tracking technology.

Zverev appealed to chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani to take a look but was rebuffed, and the world number two was then warned for unsportsmanlike conduct after pulling his phone out of his bag and taking a picture of the spot.

"I honestly think there was a defect in the system. There was a mistake in the system in that moment," said Zverev, who later posted the photo on Instagram.

"It's not like one millimeter in, one millimeter out, it was like four-five centimeters. That's why I went to the umpire and said 'Please, come down to have a look at this, I'm not crazy'."

Reuters has contacted the ATP for comment.

Earlier this month, women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka also took a photo of a disputed ball mark during a match in Stuttgart and was warned for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The ATP has adopted the line calling system for all of its tournaments from this year, and while Zverev said he was a fan of the technology he was shocked by the incident in Madrid.

"It's going to be interesting to see what happens now, what kind of fine I'll get, even though I'm right," he said.

"I hope I don't get a fine, because obviously, in my opinion, I'm completely in the right and I should not get fined for this."