Becky James

Becky James announced her arrival on the cycling scene when she won the British Junior 500 metres title in 2007. She went on to add two World titles, two Olympic silver medals and a silver and bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. But for injury and illness it could have been much more.

Tall and rangy, with an aggressive way of crouching over her bike, James was seen at her very best at the World Championships in Minsk in 2013, where she achieved her breakthrough to win gold medals in the Sprint and Keirin, plus bronze in the 500m Time Trial and Team Sprint.

At the age of only 21, she was a model of composure and tactical mastery in the sprint final against the far more experienced Kristina Vogel of Germany. In the Keirin final she demonstrated huge courage as she fought the pain that had accumulated during five days of racing to snatch gold with a late surge.

She had overcome glandular fever and an appendectomy to make it to Minsk, as well as the disappointment of being overlooked for the 2012 Olympics in London, and then struggled with a serious knee injury after taking bronze medals in the Keirin and Team Sprint at the 2014 World Championships in Colombia.

Rehab took five months and then she suffered a cervical cancer scare and a shoulder injury which required keyhole surgery. Quite how she got herself back in shape to make the British team for the Rio Olympics in 2016 is remarkable.

Her persistence and desire saw here battle to win a brace of silver medals in Brazil, with a characteristic late surge in the Keirin making it a close finish close against Holland’s Elis Ligtlee. She went down to a 2-0 defeat in the Sprint final to Vogel.

Her decision to retire at the age of 25 meant Wales were denied her services at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Team GB missed out on her potential for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Instead, she is concentrating on coaching and baking.

Rebecca Angharad James (Cycling) Born on 29 November, 1991 in Abergavenny