Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe believes Laura Kenny’s mental strength will be her biggest asset on the comeback trail to Paris 2024.
Kenny, Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, gave birth to her second son Monty in July and recently revealed plans to pursue a fourth Games appearance.
The 31-year-old said: “I know everyone thinks I’m absolutely mad in saying that, but if I don’t try, I’ll never know.”
Earlier this year, British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said it would be ‘a stretch’ for the five-time Olympic champion to make it back in time.
Rowe won team pursuit gold alongside Kenny at London 2012 and has no doubt that her former team-mate is equipped to tackle the tight turnaround.
“I wasn’t surprised to hear that Laura is aiming for Paris,” said Rowe, who was Kenny’s bridesmaid when she married Jason. “She’s grown up on a bike – it’s just part of who she is.
“It is realistic for her to make Paris; it will be tough but it’s doable. Laura knows how to work with the right people to put her in the best position to make selection.”
Since the last Olympics in Tokyo, Kenny suffered a miscarriage at nine weeks and underwent a surgery due to ectopic pregnancy two months later.
Rowe said: “We know about her ability as a rider, her tactical nous, but it’s not just about that, Laura has all of the mental ingredients you could need. The biggest challenge is going to be physically making it back again.”
UK Sport pregnancy guidance states that athletes must signal their intent to return to the same level of training and competition as pre-pregnancy within six months post-childbirth.
Reports suggest Kenny will be asked to prove herself at January’s European Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands in order to gain selection for the Paris Olympics.
To complicate matters, the size of women’s endurance teams at the Olympics has been cut from five to four, albeit one rider can transfer across to track from another discipline.
The Games open on July 26, exactly one year and one week since Kenny gave birth to Monty.
“Laura puts her family first, always, which is a real attribute,” said Rowe. “As an athlete, you have to be really selfish, but she’s worked out a way she can still get the best out of herself while still being the best mum and wife she can be.”
Kenny is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – this is vital for her pathway to Paris.
Mum-of-two Rowe chose the opposite career path to Kenny, with whom she won three world titles, choosing to start a family post-retirement in 2018.
“For me, personally, I didn’t feel that I would be able to be selfish any more,” said Rowe. “I felt I was so selfish as an athlete, to friends, family, and my husband Matt.
“I didn’t think I could compartmentalise things, I wanted to just be a mum and I felt very lucky to have achieved everything I ever dreamt of on the bike. I was ready for the next chapter.”
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