Olympic medallist and mum Vicky Holland aiming to ‘inspire next generation’ after lightning run in Hong Kong triathlon
- Englishwoman, triathlon bronze medallist at 2016 Olympic Games and 2018 world champion, finished 11th in the Hong Kong World Cup leg
- The 38-year-old returned to competition in October, barely eight months after giving birth, and this was only her fifth race back
Olympic bronze medallist Vicky Holland is busting a gut to return to the top-tier of triathlon, and inspire future generations of mothers in elite sport.
The 2018 world champion gave birth to daughter Emmie in January 2023, but said she grew up believing pregnancy would spell the end of a professional sports career.
But the Englishwoman returned to competition around eight months after Emmie was born, and in her fifth event as a mum finished 11th in Sunday’s Triathlon World Cup leg in Hong Kong.
And while the 38-year-old said qualification for this summer’s Paris Games was not a priority, because “I do not need another Olympics to cap off my career”, she does want to reclaim a spot in the elite World Championship Series.
Holland, who hinted at retirement after finishing 13th at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, told the Post: “I am stubborn. People would probably say, ‘what have you got to prove? Enjoy your retirement’, but I wanted to show I could get back to a high level.
“It is very important for the next generation of girls to see it is possible to have a family, then come back to compete.”