'I can still smell the Olympics!' – Laura Kenny, Katie Archibald and Joanna Rowsell on London velodrome memories

ByBen Snowball

Updated 08/12/2022 at 12:03 GMT

Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald were joined by former British team-mate Joanna Rowsell to reflect on their memories of the Lee Valley velodrome. Kenny, Archibald and Rowsell rode together to grab gold for Britain at the Rio 2016 Olympics, with Rowsell since hanging up the bike and becoming a pundit with Eurosport. Archibald and Kenny competed in the 2022 Track Champions League.

Multiple Olympic champions Laura Kenny, Katie Archibald and Joanna Rowsell have reflected on their memories of the Lee Valley velodrome in London – saying it still smells of the Olympics.

The trio memorably combined to clinch team pursuit gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, along with Elinor Barker, defending the title Kenny and Rowsell had won with Dani Rowe at London 2012.

“That’s obviously my standing memory of the velodrome [the London Games]. Like you know when you walk in, I can still smell the Olympics!” said Kenny in conversation with her team-mates past and present.

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“When you go to Newport, it smells like a holding camp, and I get the same here.

“When I walk down the stairs, I’m like ‘I can smell the Olympics’. It’s like walking into your nan’s house, it’s got a smell. I love it, it’s just the best track.”

Kenny endured a disappointing debut Track Champions League, finishing last in the women’s Endurance league, although she previously insisted she had “no regrets” about competing.

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However, she can certainly console herself with her five Olympic titles – only husband Jason and Sir Chris Hoy have more for Britain – two of which came during her stunning breakout Games in London.

Reflecting on the London crowd, Kenny said: “Amazing, best crowd in the world. It just is for us. They just get behind you.

“It feels like my track. I’m not like Sir Chris yet, I haven’t got the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, I’ve not got the Dame Laura Velodrome yet!”

Archibald, who had only recently converted to cycling from swimming when the Olympics touched down in London, admitted her first memory of the Lee Valley track was less positive, recalling an incident with British team-mate Barker at a Revolution event.

“I remember coming down with Elle. I had driven us, turned up with loads of time. So we thought we would go buy some snacks, get some fuel for the big omnium day,” she recalled.

“We took a wrong turn and ended up stuck on a motorway, you could see the velodrome. We’re in standstill traffic, looking at this gorgeous building and the anxiety was so much worse by the fact I had done it to Elle too. And that we were both trapped in this metal box.

"[We were within] walking distance… she should have got out and started running across the middle!"

Archibald just missed out on defending her Track Champions League title from last year, finishing second behind Jennifer Valente after a thrilling battle.

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