Scotland’s Mark Stewart admits he had started to accept he would never win a gold medal at the World Track Cycling Championships – before he finally became world champion in China earlier this month.
The 31-year-old, who had previously claimed two silver medals and a bronze, prevailed in the gruelling 160-lap points race in Shanghai to reach the pinnacle of his career.
Stewart, from Dundee, was dropped by British Cycling’s high performance programme and stopped cycling professionally after the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
After being stranded in New Zealand during lockdown he stayed in the country and had to make a living away from sport, working as a dog-walker, babysitter, teacher, and lifeguard before rejoining British Cycling before the 2024 Olympics.
Stewart admits his rise at a later stage in his career has left him unsure about how to process his world-title success.
“Because it had taken me so long to win a world championship you almost start to make your peace that it wasn’t going to happen and started to enjoy the other aspects of sport,” Stewart told BBC Scotland.
“I don’t put any more value on it because I have spent my career telling myself that it is not where I put my value, so I can’t see that really changing.
“I stand by that so I think it is something cool and it is a personal achievement – but I still don’t think it should change how people judge you or how I judge myself.”