Aussie cancer survivor bags Olympic medal

_{Australian cyclist Matthew Glaetzer has won his first ever medal at his fourth and final Olympic games.}  

_{After overcoming injury, heartbreak and even thyroid cancer, the 31-year-old, dubbed by many as cycling’s unluckiest man, has finally won a bronze medal.}  

_{Two years before the Tokyo Olympics, the athlete received a thyroid cancer diagnosis, surgery and treatment.}  

_{He was then hit by a series of injuries including a torn calf, oblique complaint and bulging disc in his back, but that didn’t stop him from competing in Tokyo.}  

_{While he didn’t win any medals, he refused to let a career of near-misses define him and finally achieved bronze in the team sprint alongside Leigh Hoffman and Matt Richardson this year.}  

_{“It was elation — I was so pumped when I saw that ‘three’ … on the scoreboard,” Glaetzer said after the race.}

_{“It’s very special to finally win an Olympic medal. We were definitely aiming for better — we felt like we could have been in the gold (ride-off).”}

_{In the lead-up to the Games, he said that his wife Nikki helped ensure he did not make a rash decision after Tokyo.}  

_{“I wouldn’t be here without her — I was actually pretty close to giving the sport away after Tokyo,” he said.}  

_{“For us to be a team together and figure out we have some unfinished business, to push to Paris, has been a feat.}

_{“I’m pretty proud to be here.”}

_{Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com/ Shutterstock Editorial}