Anna Henderson gives ‘blood and tears’ to triumph in brutal Olympics time trial

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Anna Henderson achieved an impressive second place in a heavy rainstorm in Paris, just two months after she thought she might not have a chance at the Olympics.

The young woman, who is 25 years old, injured her collarbone for the second time this year in May. However, she worked hard to recover and was fully fit in time to participate in the women's road race.

Many cyclists fell down in the rain in Paris, but former skier Henderson managed to stay on the course and finish Pont Alexandre III in 41:09.83. This was just enough to beat Chloe Dygert, who fell off her bike, by less than a second and win the silver medal.

"Last year, I was so close to winning the bronze medal at Worlds, so I'm thrilled to be in a better position this time," she exclaimed. "I'm incredibly proud of my achievement."

The second injury was a major blow to me emotionally, and it was a struggle to regain motivation. However, thoughts of Paris kept me going, and I am grateful for the support of the people around me who helped me push through.

"I did think about not being able to participate in the Olympics for a moment, and it was a tough time for me during the season. However, I quickly recovered and had a positive outcome. I excelled at the national championships, performed well at the Tour of Britain, and had a successful lead up to this event."

I am pleased with how I performed and satisfied with my journey.

Australia's Grace Brown won first place in a tough race over a 32.6km course. American Taylor Knibb fell three times during the event, with one of her accidents causing her mechanic to also fall while trying to help her. Another American, Dygert, also had a serious fall during the race.

Dygert crossed the finish line with a limp but managed to complete the race. Henderson, who managed to stay on her bike the entire time to remain in the competition, anxiously waited to see what medal she would receive.

She found it a little bit puzzling since the television screen was significantly delayed and she couldn't clearly see the information on the board.

"When I first found out I had won a medal, I was overjoyed. The anticipation of whether it would be silver or bronze added to the excitement. Winning the silver medal was truly incredible."

Henderson has won Team GB's second medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics and the athlete from Hemel Hempstead confessed that she was pleasantly surprised by her own performance.

She is looking forward to enjoying a pastry from a classic French bakery as a treat and wants to have a celebration with the people who supported her during the difficult times earlier this year.

"I have put in a lot of hard work and dedication," said Henderson, who receives support from Aldi's Closest Loved Ones program. "I am truly grateful for the people who have helped me along the way and all those who have supported me."

"All my friends are here with me and I'm thrilled that they were able to join. I'm truly grateful for their presence."

The men's time trial had a mix of emotions, with Josh Tarling of Great Britain narrowly missing out on a bronze medal by a margin of just 2.16 seconds. Despite his best efforts to recover from an early puncture, he ultimately had a heartbreaking finish on the Paris streets.

Tarling experienced a flat tire on the front of his bike and had to switch to a different one while riding the 32.4-km route. However, even with this challenge at the beginning, the 20-year-old Tarling was able to make up time and put pressure on the athletes in the top positions.

In the end, Tarling narrowly missed out on a podium finish, with Wout van Aert of Belgium taking bronze, Filippo Ganna of Italy winning silver, and Remco Evenpoel of Belgium securing the gold for his team. The top four cyclists were separated by just 28 seconds, leaving the rest of the competitors far behind. Tarling was followed by Brandon McNulty of the USA, who finished 35 seconds after him in fifth place.

Tarling's delay in fixing his bike cost him the opportunity to win a bronze medal.

"Yep, stuff happens, you know," he remarked. "It's frustrating, put in a ton of work. But hey, things happen. Got a flat tire, right on the edge, had to switch it out. It's irritating, especially with the road race just around the corner. We'll see how it goes."

Aldi is excited to announce that they are now Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, providing their support to all athletes leading up to the Paris 2024 games.