Team GB’s new golden girl of cycling set to inspire historic run at Olympics

Team GB stormed to a first gold in three days after Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell delivered in the women’s team sprint

Laura Kenny asked Emma Finucane to speak her name on a voice note so she could pronounce it correctly on live TV.

But, after leading Great Britain to a famous team sprint victory, the new golden girl of cycling underlined why hers is now likely to be the name on everyone’s lips this summer.

Finucane completed the first leg of what she hopes will be an unprecedented Paris hat-trick alongside Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell in the women’s team sprint, with Kenny watching on from the sidelines.

The 21-year-old was handed a slender lead by her teammates at the beginning of the last lap but there was never any doubt of the outcome. Give Emma a chance, so they say, and let her do the rest. And she did.

Finucane, already a world and European champion, is a massive fan of Formula 1 and her last lap – under the most intense pressure – was Lewis Hamilton-esque. The velodrome erupted in a sea of red, white and blue – and that was just the France fans, who could not help but join the party.

After three days of no gold medals, Team GB needed this. Track cycling is a trusty old friend when it comes to delivering at the Olympics and, in Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo, a gold rush has followed.

And, with Finucane - pronounced Fin-noo-kun, seeing as you’re asking – spearheading the charge with the women’s sprint and keirin to come don’t bet against it again.

“I am honestly so proud,” she said after ticking the first gold off on her road to potentially becoming the first woman to do an Olympic three-peat.

Britain's Katy Marchant, Britain's Sophie Capewell and Britain's Emma Finucane celebrate their gold medal (AFP via Getty Images)

“We nailed that ride. I believed in us that we could do it but to actually execute it and celebrate. I have never celebrated like that in my life. These two are so special.”

Indeed they are. Marchant, who led the opening lap, became the fifth British mum to win an Olympic medal at these Games and she did it with two-year-old Arthur in the stands, cheering them home.

“It was all a bit overwhelming for him,” she said. “But it was very special to have him here and to celebrate. It means the world.

“He is a key member of the team and a huge part of my journey. He popped to the hotel yesterday because I thought if I saw him the stands for the first time in two weeks, I would be sobbing my heart out.

“I felt very emotional.”

Britain’s Katy Marchant, Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell celebrate on podium after winning the gold medal of the women’s team sprint event (AP)

Meanwhile, Capewell dedicated her medal to her father Nigel, a Paralympic cyclist who competed in both Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000, and who died in November 2021.

“The journey to get here for everyone has been up and down,” she said.

“I’ve had my own personal battles, I wish my dad was up in the stands watching it but I know he’s super proud of me.”

He certainly would be.

In a stiflingly hot velodrome, his daughter helped to roast New Zealand in the gold medal race and smashed the world record to win Britain’s first ever Olympic women’s team sprint title.

Marchant, Capewell and Finucane arrived as fringe medal contenders, behind the powerhouses of Germany and China, but in qualifying they gave a clue as to their form by instantly breaking the world record.

Germany and then New Zealand lowered it further in the next round, where eight teams fought for two places, but the British trio went and beat it again.

In the final, Rebecca Petch started like a rocket and led New Zealand to a 0.133s first-lap lead over Marchant. But her teammates struggled to keep up and, by the time Petch peeled off, Britain were in the lead.

Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane of Team Great Britain celebrate (Getty Images)

Capewell, riding second, went round in a blistering 13.260s to turn the deficit into a 0.266s advantage, before handing over to Finucane. New Zealand, frankly, had no chance.

Somewhere, Team GB bosses will be delighted.

It is hard to downplay the significance of track cycling in the final medal table, and especially if they are to reach the ceiling of the 50-70 target range for medals.

Kenny is certainly confident. The five-time Olympic champion believes they will win a medal in each of the 12 track events and even top their record of seven gold medals won in Beijing and London.

As a recently-retired team member – she called it quits in March – and the wife of the current sprint coach and Team GB’s most successful Olympian, Jason Kenny, she was probably unlikely to be pessimistic.

But still, that is one bold prediction.

Team GB should certainly hoover up a lot. The men’s and women’s team pursuits squads are hopeful of regaining the Olympic titles they lost in Tokyo, Finucane is the favourite for the individual sprint and the keirin titles, while Scotland’s Jack Carlin hopes to emerge from Jason Kenny’s shadow and become the king of men’s sprinting.

Carlin and teammates Ed Lowe and Hamish Turnbull were second quickest in qualifying, while the men’s team pursuit quartet of Ethan Hayter, Oliver Wood, Daniel Bigham and Ethan Vernon did likewise.

If it sound ominous, it may be because it is. The cycling gold rush has begun.

Gold medalists Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane of Team Great Britain celebrate (Getty Images)

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