Last update on. From the section OlympicsShanne Braspennincx, a Dutch rider, won Olympic gold in keirin six years after she suffered a heart attack. She didn't know if she would be competing again.Braspennincx (30) crossed the line ahead New Zealand's Ellesse Jacobs and Canada's Lauriane Geneest.After seeing her teammate Laurine van Riessen, who was injured in a collision with Team GB hopeful Katy Marchant, she regained her composure.Braspennincx was unable to attend the Rio Games five year ago, and her future is uncertain.Shanne Braspennincx beat Ellesse Andrews, Lauriane Genest to win goldAfter falling ill in Colorado in 2015, she thought her career was over. She had to have surgery to open an artery and a stent installed.Braspennincx stated, "I thought [I would have to retire], but a heart attack doesn't seem like something you have when your are an athlete,""It took me six months to find out if I could be allowed to become an athlete again. Even when I was, it wasn't easy to get back at my old level or to regain my trust in my body.Braspennincx stated that she didn't overthink her win.It was instinct. She said, "That's how it works since I race Keirin. I listen to my gut feeling."
