GB’s Henderson wins Olympic time trial silver

Great Britain’s Anna Henderson won a cycling road time trial silver medal on her Olympic debut on the rain-soaked streets of Paris.

The 25-year-old, who has twice broken her collarbone this season, stopped the clock on Pont Alexandre III in 41 minutes 9.83 seconds.

Gold went to Australia’s Grace Brown who, in a remarkable performance, finished more than a minute and a half quicker than Henderson, with the United States’ world champion Chloe Dygert taking bronze.

Dygert was one of several riders who came off their bikes on the slippery roads. The main consequence of her fall was that she lost the near 15-second advantage she held over Henderson at the first time checkpoint.

Her finishing time was less than a second slower than that of Henderson, who became Team GB’s second medallist of Paris 2024 after the earlier synchronised diving bronze for Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen.

Henderson, who away from the Olympics rides for Visma–Lease a Bike, only started cycling nine years ago having initially dreamed of going to the Winter Games.

A former alpine skiing national junior champion, a broken leg at the age of 15 saw her take to two wheels as part of her rehab, and it would change her sporting path.

Now a double national time trial champion, she won European silver last year after a fourth-place finish at the World Championships.

With the men’s event coming up later on Saturday, the Paris time trials mark the first time men and women have raced the same course over the same distance in Olympic history.

Starting on the Esplanade des Invalides, the 32.4km route heads east out of the city through Bois de Vincennes before looping back via the Bastille and finishing on the celebrated bridge of Pont Alexandre III.

Team GB’s world bronze medallist Josh Tarling is the sole British rider in the men’s time trial.