For some athletes, the Olympic comedown is severe while for others, the Olympics lights a fire, leaving them champing at the bit to get going again.
Neah Evans is most certainly in the latter category.
The 34-year-old won silver in the velodrome in Paris, finishing second in the madison alongside Elinor Barker.
Two months on from her medal-winning performance at Paris 2024 – it was her second Olympic medal having also won silver in the team pursuit at Tokyo 2020 – Evans admits she still has somewhat mixed emotions about her result and it says much about the Aberdeenshire native that she’s not entirely content with second place, even at the Olympic Games.
“There’s part of me that’s pleased with winning a medal in Paris. And then there’s the other part that’s always looking to improve and so there’s some frustration there. But, I think, with time, that frustration will fade and I’ll be happy with a silver medal,” she says.
“It’s strange to be in the position where I’m not entirely satisfied with “just” an Olympic silver medal. I know there’s a lot of people who will read that comment and wonder how I can’t be completely overjoyed but if you’re ever entirely happy with not the best result, you wouldn’t be an elite-level athlete.
“There’s one or two tactical things that didn’t work out in Paris but with the madison, there’s so many things that are outwith your control. So to win any medal in the madison is a hard thing to do.”
Evans’ build-up to Paris 2024 was severely hampered when she contracted EBV (Epstein-Barr Virus) in April of this year, which left her feeling exhausted after even the most mundane of tasks.
And so when she considers how she went from worrying she’d miss the Olympics entirely to standing on the podium, she can’t fail to feel pleased at defying the odds.
“When I first got the diagnosis of EBV, I really thought that was it for my Olympic chances. Even taking the dog for a walk was difficult,” she says.
“I obviously got to Paris but it meant I wasn’t quite where I wanted to be fitness-wise because for the entire build-up, I was walking a tightrope of pushing myself but not over-cooking it.
“So when I reflect on that, a silver medal was a pretty huge achievement.
“Something like this makes you realise that as much as you work hard, you also need some luck in the build-up to these major events.”
It’s this disrupted build-up that’s ensures Evans cannot wait to get back into the saddle, which will happen this week at the Track Cycling World Championships, which begin on Wednesday in Ballerup in Denmark.
Evans is in the endurance squad and will ride the madison with fellow Scot, Katie Archibald, and given her rush to be fit for Paris 2024, she’s confident that two extra months of training since the Olympic Games makes it likely she could be in even better form next week than she was in Paris.
“The fact my build-up to the Olympics was so disrupted has given me extra motivation for these Worlds – the extra few weeks I’ve had since the Olympics means I’ll potentially be in even better shape than I was at the Olympics,” she says.
"Also, because there were mistakes at the Olympics, I’m so motivated to race again and rectify that.”
Paris 2024 may still be a recent memory but already, Evans has cast an eye towards LA 2028.
The aftermath of the Olympics often induces considerable soul-searching when it comes to an athlete’s future but already, Evans is certain of her plans for the next four years.
Having spent the past seven years based at British Cycling’s centre in Manchester, she’s relocated north of the border as she prepares to embark on another four years of training which will, she hopes, end with a third Olympic appearance.
“Being back in Aberdeen is really nice and the fact GB’s training will be mainly camp-based in the next few years has allowed me to make this move,” she says.
“At the moment, I’m pretty sure that I’m going to go for LA 2028.
“I’ve always had the attitude that I’m going to keep cycling for as long as I enjoy it and, at the moment, I’m very much still enjoying it.
“Stuff happens that’s outwith your control so I know that might mean I can’t make to my third Olympics but it’s certainly what I’m striving for.
“Whether or not I make it to LA, only time will tell but it’s definitely my intention to be there.”
