When Anna Henderson suffered her second broken collarbone of the season on April 28, it was the thought of the 2024 Paris Olympics that kept her motivated.

At the Vuelta España Femenina, Henderson crashed 3 km before the finish of the first stage and broke her collarbone again.

However, after missing most of the spring classics in which he had performed well, Henderson turned this tragic situation around and achieved the biggest result of his career.

“About three days after the surgery, I was back indoors and on my bike,” Henderson said at the finish line in Paris. [The second race hurt a lot mentally and I had a very hard time getting my motivation back. But I always had Paris on my mind, and that kept me going."

”I was always thinking about Paris, and that kept me going.

While the incessant rain and slippery wet surface hurt racers like Chloe Daigier (USA) and Lotte Kopecky (Belgium), who had fallen on the course around the Vincennes Forest, Henderson continued to run clean on the 32.4 km course and timed He lost to Grace Brown (AUS), who was dominant in the checks.

“I didn't realize how slippery it was until I got out on the course. I thought, 'I could lose the whole Olympics in this one corner. I really controlled it because I could make up time on the straights,” Henderson said. And my coach did a really good job of keeping me calm and pushing right to the end.”

For Henderson, a second-place podium finish was a dream come true after suffering a second broken collarbone and the thought of not making his Olympic debut crossed his mind. However, after returning to racing in June and performing well in his home country, Henderson was quietly confident that he had a shot at a medal. But a silver medal might not be possible.

“I was at rock bottom this season. But I bounced back quickly, won the All-Japan Championships, and had a good run at the Tour of Britain,” Henderson said.

“I came into the race in really good shape, including a training camp in the highlands, and I'm really happy with how I did.

“I had half-dreamed about the podium, but I never thought I would make it this far.

“I'm really proud of her, especially her parents Janet and John, and her boyfriend Ollie Moores, who were in Paris to witness her remarkable success after a tough season.

“I owe everyone around me for getting me this far and getting me through today. 'I just had to turn the pedal. But there are people who have brought me this far and I'm really proud to be here.

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