She sat stunned as an innocuous crash just two months out from the Olympics left her grimacing with pain. With an X-ray machine on site - a nod to how many broken bones occur in BMX-she soon learned she had fractured her collarbone.
The first reaction was of upset and worry that she would be denied the chance to defend the Olympic title won so superbly in Tokyo three years earlier.
But within six weeks, she was back riding on the Paris track where she hopes to become a double Olympic champion, starting with tonight's quarter-finals.
The 25-year-old said: "I knew I'd done something straight away, even with all the adrenaline going on, but my physio was there and able to reassure me there was plenty of time to Paris.
Denne historien er fra August 01, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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Denne historien er fra August 01, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
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Vamos Rafa! It's time to go for Spain's brave warrior
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