Track rider Victoria Williamson to switch from cycling to bobsleigh
The 25-year-old made her comeback in 2019 following three years off the bike after a crash
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

British track rider Victoria Williamson has announced she will switch from cycling to bobsleigh, after completing her first training camp with the GB bobsleigh team.
Williamson emerged in 2011 after enrolling in the Olympic Development Programme in 2008, having previously switched from athletics to cycling.
Her best result came in 2013 at the Track World Championships in Minsk, Belarus, where she partnered with Becky James to win a bronze medal in the team sprint.
Disaster struck in January 2016 when Williamson crashed in the Omnium sprint race at the Six Days of Rotterdam. She suffered a broken neck and back, as well as dislocating her pelvis and slipping a disc in her neck.
>>> MPCC urge UCI to improve testing to combat ‘mafia’-esque blood doping
Williamson was left with a loss of feeling in her left leg after the crash due to a trapped nerve, eventually making her return to racing three years later in 2019.
Now 25, she competed in the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Hong Kong and also qualified for the Track World Championships.
Speaking about her switch, Williamson said: "Cycling has been a big part of my life since I was a teenager back when I came through the Girls4Gold talent identification programme. In a way I’m sad to be moving on from it but equally I’m excited about what could happen in my bobsleigh career.
She added that the crash in 2016 has made it difficult for her to return to her previous form on the bike, but thanked British Cycling for funding and supporting her rehabilitation.
"My crash in 2016 changed my life, and although I would say it has inhibited my ability to excel to the top of the sport again, my athletic capability has still allowed me to continue in elite sport. I couldn’t have got through it without the support I received from British Cycling who funded my rehab and supported my return - I will always be thankful."
The next Winter Olympic Games will take place in Beijing, China, in February 2022.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.
Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).
I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.
-
-
Dan Bigham set to target Victor Campenaerts' Hour Record again
British record holder will aim for 55.090km in Grenchen, Switzerland next Friday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Crossing countries with the new Garmin Edge 1040 Solar
How Garmin’s new flagship computer held up in CW’s race across Wales
By Cycling Weekly • Published
-
'Give us the bike or we'll stab you’: UK cyclist recounts horror of attempted bike theft by masked motorcyclists
Attack in South London is the latest in a series of incidents involving violent thugs on motorbikes
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
British Cycling announces £45,000 recovery fund to support event organisers
The funding scheme is aimed at increasing participation within the sport following the Covid-19 pandemic
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
'British Cycling pulled trans policy because of public pressure' — Emily Bridges
Cyclist said she received threats of physical violence after Boris Johnson said trans women should not compete in women's events
By Adam Becket • Published
-
British Cycling receives £26.6m investment from Sport England
British Cycling will focus on increasing participation in the sport by tackling inequalities and issues of access into cycling
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
British Cycling call for Russian and Belarusian riders to be suspended from races after invasion of Ukraine
UK's governing body urged UCI to stop Russian and Belarusian riders from competing
By Adam Becket • Published
-
British Cycling announces team for UCI Cycling E-sports World Championships on Zwift
The line-up features 10 women and five men all competing for equal prize money and to become world champion
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
British Cycling announces 2022 calendar for National Road Series and National Circuit Series
The National Road Series begins on May 8, while the National Circuit Series gets underway on June 29
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Olympic gold medal sprinter Phil Hindes announces retirement at 29
Hindes was an essential part of the GB team sprint squad, winning gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016
By Alex Ballinger • Published