Every big sporting event crowns a new fan favorite, and in 2024, the Olympic spotlight landed on Laviai Nielsen! The British 400m runner, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo just four years ago, sprinted straight into the hearts of fans in Paris, bagging two bronze medals as part of Great Britain’s 4x400m relay teams. With 206k Instagram followers and magazine covers piling up, this track and field star was living the dream. Fans were already dreaming of an even bigger 2025—until, out of nowhere, came some gut-wrenching news that no one saw coming.

According to Owen, who shared Laviai Nielsen’s words on X, the two-time Olympic bronze medalist and reigning British Indoor Champion has decided to end her indoor season early. “I’ve made the decision to end my indoor season,” she stated, citing a challenging winter with setbacks. “This is the right call to focus on getting stronger for the outdoor season. See you outdoors.” While she didn’t go into details, it seems health might be a factor.

Just days ago, Laviai Nielsen was tearing up the track at the World Indoor Tour in Lievin, grabbing third place in the 400m with a 52.27 finish behind Lieke Klaver and Louise Maraval. And on February 9, she was still making waves on the European indoor season leaderboard, clocking 51.88—just behind her twin sister Lina Nielsen (51.86).

But now, with her early exit from the indoor track and field season, all eyes are on her return in June for the outdoor races. And let’s not forget—this is the same 28-year-old (soon to be 29 in March) who revealed her MS diagnosis and still went on to win two Olympic medals.

A diagnosis that changed everything for this 28-year-old track and field star

Laviai Nielsen’s Olympic journey started in a pretty unexpected way. Back in 2012, she was a volunteer at the London Olympics, responsible for lugging around the gear of Jessica Ennis-Hill. Inspired by the experience, this track and field star decided to go all in on athletics, later earning a geography degree from Queen Mary University. Fast forward to 2023, and she was tearing up the track at the London Diamond League, clocking a personal best of 49.87 seconds. But just when it seemed like everything was falling into place, life threw a curveball.

In the lead-up to Tokyo 2021, Laviai started noticing something wasn’t right. “I was finishing races with what I would describe as a numb feeling on one side,” she told Olympics.com, explaining that it flared up with heat and adrenaline. Then, just two weeks before the Games, she got the news—multiple sclerosis (MS). Not exactly the pre-Olympic pep talk anyone dreams of. With barely any time to process, she pushed through, but the team finished fifth—a “disappointment” by her standards. Most people would take that as a sign to slow down. Laviai? She just laced up her spikes and kept going.

Now, with her indoor season cut short, all eyes are on her return in the summer. If there’s one thing we know about Laviai, it’s that she doesn’t back down from a challenge. So when she hits the track and field in June, don’t be surprised if she turns that setback into yet another comeback—because if her story proves anything, it’s that she’s built for the long run.