Katie Archibald could miss World Championships through injury

Archibald won three golds at the European Track Championships in October

Britain's Katie Archibald could miss the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in March after a crash left her with a ruptured knee ligament.

The Scot, 21, says she will not take any unnecessary risks with her fitness before this summer's Olympic Games.

"Nothing is more important than the Olympics and rushing through rehab, to make riding the Worlds viable, would be a big mistake," Archibald said.

"Luckily, there's a big team at British Cycling being sensible on my behalf."

Archibald won three gold medals at the European Track Championships in October.

She has not given up hope of being fit in time to ride at the World Championships, but will only make herself available if she is injury-free as Rio 2016 is her focus.

"It's a no-brainer which, if forced to pick, I should prioritise," Archibald wrote in her column for the Sunday Herald.

"One comes every year and the other comes every four years and is the biggest sporting platform on the planet.

"But I want it all. I really think I can make it back and hopefully forget about this whole annoying thing soon."

The Milngavie cyclist said she had been "going brilliantly" before she crashed.

"We'd just come back from a camp and I was pinging and set for riding with the pursuit squad to world domination," she said.

"That's just the way the weak knee crumbles, I guess."

The UCI Track Cycling World Championships take place in London's Lee Valley VeloPark from 2-6 March.