Laura Kenny, Britain's five-time Olympic gold medallist, has revealed she considered quitting cycling at the start of this year following a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy. The 30-year-old said she miscarried at nine weeks in November and had a fallopian tube removed in January due to an ectopic pregnancy.
Kenny, who won the madison at the Tokyo Games last year, described January as a 'tipping point' and a 'breaking point'. She credited her husband, Jason Kenny, with helping her persevere. 'Without Jason, I think I’d have just canned everything,' she said. 'But I grabbed for my safety blanket and decided I needed to ride my bike again.'
The cyclist, who gave birth to son Albie in 2017, said the experience put things into perspective and reminded her why she enjoys the sport. Kenny will represent England in the team pursuit, scratch race and points race at the Commonwealth Games, which begin on Friday at the London velodrome.
Kenny, who won points race gold at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, said she is heading into the event with low expectations and a relaxed mindset. 'I feel more relaxed than ever,' she said. 'I’m so excited just to get out in front of a home crowd again.'
