Teen recovers from crash to win medal at youth Olympics
A SCHOOLGIRL has won Team GB’s first medal at the European Youth Olympics – only months after a crash which left her unable to train.
Elynor Backstedt, 15, received a bronze medal on Tuesday for the women’s time trial 10km event in Hungary.
Her performance has been hailed as remarkable considering she was unable to train for eight weeks following a crash which left her concussed.
Elynor, from Pontyclun, was injured after colliding with a car in March when training in Pencoed with 12-year-old sister Zoe.
The Pant Comprehensive School pupil is the latest in line of a family of athletes, with parents Magnus and Megan both professional cyclists.
Megan represented Wales at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, while Magnus won the prestigious ParisRoubaix road race in 2004.
Elynor, who was given her first racing bike at the age of three, said: “I’m really happy with that race.
“It’s been a tough year after the crash but I so wanted to get back racing and get selected for this.
“I’ve been trying to work on fitness and speed over the past six weeks just to even get selected for this event.
“I would have been happy with a top 10 so to get a medal makes me super happy and it’s amazing to win Team GB’s first medal.”
The teenager will join teammates Ella Barnwell and Amelia Sharpe today to compete in the women’s road race.
Magnus, who now runs a cycle coaching business in Newport, said: “We’re very, very proud but it’s been a very difficult year for her.
“She had to have eight weeks off training and off school with concussion and she had to fight really hard to get back to her full level.
“She had such an expression of relief on the podium to be back.”
The 41-year-old said the accident came as a massive setback for Elynor’s training.
He said: “She went head first into the window of the car.
“She ended up concussed and it was just dragging on and dragging on.”
However, Elynor’s latest medal marks her biggest success to date.
Magnus, who moved to Wales from Sweden, said: “It’s been a massive achievement for her.
“I think she was three years old when I came back from the spring class and she said ‘I want a bike like yours.’”