Wednesday 7 February 2018 09:38, UK
Laura Kenny will make her return to competitive cycling later this month after being named in Great Britain's World Championship squad.
The four-time Olympic champion gave birth to her first child, Albert, in August last year and will be back in the velodrome just six months later as part of a squad that also includes her husband, Jason.
The pair are part of a strong line-up for the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn, which get under way on February 28.
She said: "I'm looking forward to getting back into the Great Britain skinsuit and racing at the World Championships again.
"The last five months since Albie was born have been amazing and my life has changed a lot, but Jason and I are loving every minute of being parents.
"I returned to training about four months ago, and I've been really pleased and I guess a bit shocked by how fast my form has started to come back.
"Every time the team line up for a race we want to win and the worlds will be no different, but I'm not putting too much pressure on myself in Apeldoorn.
"I'm interested to see how the team pursuit get on with racing against the world's best again. It is all made even sweeter by being on the track where I won my first elite world title too!"
The 22-strong squad includes a total of seven Olympic champions with Ed Clancy, Katie Archibald, Elinor Barker, Phil Hindes and Callum Skinner also taking part.
There will also be World Championship debuts for senior academy riders Ethan Hayter and Lauren Bate.
Performance director Stephen Park said: "There's a lot to look forward to at this year's competition, obviously seeing Laura and Jason's return to the world stage will be a special occasion, they've both shown they are back on form during training sessions and I know they're excited to be competing in this year's world championships.
"I'm also looking forward to seeing Katie and Elinor racing to retain their rainbow jerseys in the omnium and the points race respectively.
"Both have enjoyed a successful world cup campaign in the build up to these world championships, winning nine medals between them, and it would be great to see them finish off their season with some more strong performances as they continue to build towards Tokyo 2020."
Squad:
Men's endurance: Dan Bigham; Ed Clancy; Kian Emadi; Ethan Hayter; Chris Latham; Mark Stewart; Charlie Tanfield; Ollie Wood
Women's endurance: Katie Archibald; Elinor Barker; Ellie Dickinson; Emily Kay; Laura Kenny; Emily Nelson;
Men's sprint: Jack Carlin; Phil Hindes; Jason Kenny; Ryan Owens; Callum Skinner; Joe Truman;
Women's sprint: Lauren Bate; Katy Marchant
