She has achieved her childhood dream, but could she be on the verge of Olympic history? Already a world champion and now an Olympic gold medallist aged just 21, Emma Finucane still has two further opportunities in Paris to add to her women's team sprint gold. If she does so, she would become the first British woman to achieve feat. Finucane anchored the Team GB team that beat New Zealand in Monday's sprint final in a world record time.
So who is Emma Finucane? And what comes next for her in Paris? For Finucane, winning Olympic gold was her childhood dream come true. It started at Carmarthen Velodrome in 2011 where eight-year-old Emma would go along with her sister, Rosie, and brother, Sean as she began with pink tassels hanging off her handlebars. With her skills honed at local cycling club, Towy Riders, Finucane's progress since has been - as she is on the track - very quick and achieved with a minimum of fuss or fanfare.
There are no more pink tassels. Aged 16 she was a junior European champion and aged 18, a national champion in the senior National Track Championships. A bronze medal followed in 2022 at the Commonwealth Games before a stunning success in 2023 as Finucane won sprint gold at the World Championships, becoming the third Briton to achieve the feat after Victoria Pendleton and compatriot Becky James.
Earlier this year, Finucane won the European women’s sprint title - along with silvers in the team sprint and keirin. It was the best performance by a British spr.