American cyclist Chloe Dygert overcame years of serious injury to earn her third Olympic medal today at the Paris Games following a fall in challenging rain conditions.
The 27-year-old from Colorado Springs secured bronze in the women’s individual time trials as cycling competition kicked off in Paris.
Dygert completed the course in 41:10.70, finishing behind gold medalist Grace Brown from Australia, who recorded a time of 39:38.24, while Great Britain’s Anna Henderson took silver at 41:09.38.
This medal marks Chloe’s third in successive Olympic appearances, following a silver in the Rio 2016 Games and another bronze in Tokyo, both in team pursuit events.
Dygert has revealed that she considered quitting during her arduous recovery from a severe leg injury in 2020.
US cyclist Chloe Dygert claimed bronze in the time trial Saturday – her third Olympic medal
Dygert completed the course in 41:10.70, behind gold medalist Grace Brown of Australia (C)
She stated, “The physical challenges I faced due to the injury, compounded by the mental battle—and all the personal struggles I had to endure—made me feel like my life didn’t matter at times.”
“In those moments, I didn’t care if I was alive or not. It’s hard to articulate what I went through, and I know that others going through similar experiences may feel the same way.”
Celebrating her bronze medal on Saturday, she expressed appreciation for the rain that has complicated the competitions at the Paris Olympics.
“I actually enjoy this weather and temperature, so I can’t complain too much,” she said.
“The crowd was so vibrant that it was tough for me to hear my radio. My first time check indicated I was five seconds behind. I felt my legs weren’t in ideal condition at the start, which made me a bit concerned.”
“Knowing the return leg had a downhill section, I thought I could leverage that, but then I experienced a minor crash which may have impacted my performance. It was my setup error, causing me to slide out. That was entirely on me. I should have navigated that section better.”
“It was tough. There was some adrenaline helping me, but I immediately felt the impact. I hit my leg against the frame, resulting in spasms and discomfort.”
Dygert admitted she had thought about quitting after a devastating leg injury in 2020
“There were moments I felt a loss of power, but it’s no excuse for my third-place finish.”
Reflecting on her journey over the past four years, she remarked, “I feel grateful to be here. It’s been a long road back to the Olympics, and I’m genuinely thankful. This is a true blessing, and I appreciate all the support that helped me finish this race.”
“While I’m competitive and want to win, I’ll remain a good sport. Everyone here aspires to victory, but we must acknowledge and support one another. In the end, one competitor will simply outperform the rest on a given day, and I just need to improve.”
