Emma Finucane Bids To Add Olympic Gold To World Champion Status

By Paul Jones

She conquered the world in 2023 and now Carmarthen cyclist Emma Finucane has her sights set on winning Olympic gold in Paris this summer.

The 21-year-old became the fastest woman in world cycling when she beat Germany’s Lea Friedrich to win sprint gold at the Cycling World Championships in Glasgow last year, becoming only the third British rider to win the title.

Her two predecessors, Victoria Pendleton and the fellow Welsh rider Becky James, both picked up medals at the Olympics. James, who was crowned world champion a decade ago, brought home two silvers from the Rio Games in 2016, while Pendleton struck gold at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

Emma Finucane On the Golden Trail Again As Paris Olympics Beckons

Finucane’s dominance in the solo event on a home track in Glasgow last August came after she had secured silver with the British squad in the team sprint. She also clocked the fastest 200 metres by a woman at sea level.

Now the British selectors have given her the chance to shine on the Olympic stage by picking her in the Tem GB cycling squad for Paris, where she will be joined by fellow Welsh internationals, Ella Maclean-Howell, Ethan Vernon, Josh Tarling and Steve Williams.

“To win, and win in front of a home crowd, last year was insane. It didn’t sink in for a long time,” said Finucane about becoming world champion.

“I didn’t know I was only the third British woman to win it but I knew it was 10 years since Becky’s triumph. Victoria Pendleton and Becky James were two women who I looked up to in my sprint career.

“I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, working hard on and off the track. We’ve got good motivation and determination with our new coach and now we want to go to Paris and win.”

Geraint Thomas To Lead Big Welsh Contingent At Road World Championships

Having won two national British sprint titles in 2020 all eyes have been on Finucane’s development since then. She struck bronze twice for Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and she swept the board to win four titles at the British championships this year.

What happened to her in Glasgow merely underlined her gold medal potential in Paris, and she kick-started this year by being crowned European sprint champion in the Netherlands in January, where she also claimed silver in the team sprint.

Fellow west Walians Tarling and Williams will join Finucane and Maclean-Howell in Paris, with the 20-year-old Tarling hoping to follow in the footsteps of double Olympic gold medalist Geraint Thomas in reaching the top of the podium.

His speciality is the Time Trial, an event in which the Aberaeron-born rising star was junior world champion in 2022.

https://twitter.com/BritishCycling/status/1745112577607127454

Since then he has become European champions (2023), British champion (2023, 2024) and was third at the 2023 world championships.

Aberystwyth-born road specialist Williams is now facing his toughest year yet having been selected for his first Tour de France as part of the Israel Premier Tech professional team. That event runs from 29 June – 21 July, with the OIympic road race taking place on 3 August.

Vernon, who represented Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in three events, finishing fourth in the team pursuit, will be hoping to upgrade from a disappointing eighth place finish at the 2020 Olympic Games in the team pursuit.

Abergavenny’s Lowri Thomas, who rode with Finucane at the last Commonwealth Games, is the reserve rider for the British women’s sprint squad.

Josh Tarling Spearheads Welsh Success As He Storms To Time Trial Gold

Team GB Cycling Squad

Men’s Track Endurance: Ethan Vernon, Oliver Wood, Daniel Bigham, Charlie Tanfield (Mark Stewart)
Men’s Track Sprint: Jack Carlin, William Turnbull, Edward Lowe (Joe Truman)
Men’s Road & TT: Ethan Hayter, Fred Wright, Stephen Williams, Josh Tarling
Women’s Track Sprint: Katy Marchant, Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell, (Lowri Thomas)
Women’s MTB XCO: Evie Richards, Ella Maclean Howell
Men’s MTB XCO: Thomas Pidcock, Charlie Aldridge