Courtney Duncan, what a comeback: return to the World Championship after the nightmare

"It’s already a victory": Courtney Duncan’s return to the WMX World Championship after health issues.

An 8th overall that means a lot. Courtney Duncan, multi-time WMX champion, started again from this result after a year away from the Motocross World Championship paddock due to health problems. The 30-year-old New Zealander had to deal with pericarditis, in other words inflammation of the pericardium, the thin sac-shaped membrane that surrounds and protects the heart, in this case caused by a virus. No small problem for an athlete, but she has now reappeared smiling and more determined than ever, intent on making up for lost time without overdoing it, taking it one step at a time. “It’s already a victory to be back” she said on the eve of the French GP.

At the start of 2025 the ailments began, above all severe chest pains: this was followed by hospitalization for all the necessary tests to get a clearer picture of the situation, and finally the diagnosis of pericarditis. Initially her absence was announced only for the start of the championship, while waiting to better understand the situation and recovery times, but inevitably the Kiwi multi-champion then had to miss the whole season, giving top priority to her health. “It’s been a really long time” Duncan said emotionally to mxgp.com before being back in action. “I’m taking the time I need,” she immediately stressed. She has been training for months now, once the condition that had stopped her was resolved, but clearly she needs to rebuild “world-championship form.” However, this weekend’s result at Lacapelle-Marival showed, in case there were any doubts, that her talent hasn’t been lost along the way. If you ask about a fifth title, she deflects with “We have to be realistic.” Who knows, though, whether step by step we’ll see her fighting for the world crown again this year!

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