Scotland's Mark Stewart has claimed his first world title at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, winning the men's 160-lap points race earlier this month.
The 31-year-old from Dundee had previously won two silver medals and a bronze at the world championships but had begun to accept that a gold medal might elude him. After being dropped from British Cycling's high-performance programme and with the Covid-19 pandemic halting his professional career, Stewart found himself stranded in New Zealand during lockdown. He worked as a dog walker, babysitter, teacher, and lifeguard before earning his way back into the British Cycling setup ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"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."
Stewart, a 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said he had overcome "extremely challenging" personal circumstances in the build-up to his victory, which he was able to channel into his performance. Having tasted Olympic competition in Paris, he now targets the 2028 Los Angeles Games. "That world championships was the start of the Olympic selection process so I couldn't really have started it in a better place," he said. "I have found a new level of performance and I think if I can tap into that it might open up a few more doors."
