Becky James will be ready for 2016 Olympic Games in Rio despite new injury setbacks, says Shane Sutton

British Cycling technical director Shane Sutton remains confident Becky James will be ready for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio despite suffering a fresh setback in her recovery from a long-term knee injury.

James picked up a problem in her left knee last spring and was subsequently ruled out of both the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and next week's UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Paris.

The 23-year-old sprinter from Wales spent three months off the bike this winter as part of a rehabilitation programme and although she had progressed enough to start pedalling again at the end of January, her recovery has since stalled.

“To be brutally honest, Becky has had a few setbacks over the last week or so,” Sutton said, without revealing details. “We looked like getting her back into full swing, but there have been one or two little complications. She is getting the best treatment possible. Everybody is working together.

'Totally confident'

“It’s a time thing. That’s all I can say. I still believe she will be ready for Rio. I’m totally confident we will get her right for Rio.”

Sutton is reluctant to put a schedule on James’ recovery but hinted she needs to be back on the track by this summer to have a realistic chance of being competitive at the Olympics.

“We would like to think that over the next month or so she will be back turning her legs again,” he added. “Four or five weeks – it’s really not going to matter.

“As long as we get to 12 months out from the Games, you can do a lot in 12 months. OK, she has lost a lot of time. Give us 12 months, a clean bill of health and then Becky will be knocking them over in Rio, for sure.”

Following a promising career in the youth ranks, James surged into the public spotlight in early 2013 by winning two gold and two bronze medals at the World Championships in Minsk.

Mental strength

She picked up two more bronzes at last year’s World Championships in Colombia and had looked on course to be Britain’s No 1 sprinter at the Rio Olympics.

Injury has now put her participation under serious threat, but Sutton believes she has the mental strength to get back to her best.

“I know that if anyone is going to survive this and cope with this mentally, it will be Becky," he said. "I have spoken with her on several occasions and, as I have always said to her, ‘You don’t need this. You’ve done it, you’ve been world champion, you’re going out with a famous rugby player [Wales international George North], you don’t need cycling’.

“But I can assure you, this girl wants it, and there’s a massive difference there. To be one of the best you have got to be very strong mentally, and she’s coping."