World champion Emma Finucane propelled Great Britain’s track sprinters to an electrifying start in the Olympic velodrome with a spectacular victory in the women’s team sprint.
In a captivating final against New Zealand, the British team of Finucane, Katy Marchant, and Sophie Capewell surged from behind to seize gold and shatter the world record for the third time, showcasing the remarkable rise of British women’s sprinting.
“Standing on that start line alongside these two, I realized our bodies had to endure something extraordinary to earn that gold medal,” said the 21-year-old Finucane. “We executed every strategy we aimed for, and I couldn’t be prouder of the team. Looking up at the crowd and seeing everyone cheering, it was surreal that we actually won and crossed the finish line first.”
As Finucane noted, world records were set “left, right, and center” at every phase of the competition by the British squad.
Their triumph was expected after a commanding performance in the earlier qualifying rounds. During their pursuit of gold, the team broke the world record three times, culminating in an Olympic title time of 45.186 seconds.
However, the final was far from straightforward compared to their heats. After falling behind in the first lap, Capewell and Finucane mounted a strong effort to overtake the Kiwis, finishing almost half a second ahead. Germany triumphed over the Netherlands to secure third place.
While Finucane’s career has rapidly taken off, Marchant, who won bronze in the Rio Olympics sprint competitions, had been waiting a long time for this gold. “It really doesn’t get better than this,” she expressed.
“This demonstrates the dedication we’ve invested. I’ve always believed hard work pays off. We’ve united as a team and worked incredibly hard to execute on the day.”
With her two-year-old son Arthur watching, Marchant finally relished standing on the top step of the Olympic podium. “He was a bit overwhelmed – as were we – but it was meaningful to have him there,” she remarked. “He’s a significant part of my journey.”
Capewell reflected on her late father Nigel, a former paracyclist who placed fourth in the Paralympics, who once advised her: “Don’t settle for fourth.”
“Everyone’s journey to reach this point has had its ups and downs,” Capewell shared. “I’ve faced my own struggles, and while I wish my dad could have been in the stands, I know he would be incredibly proud of me.”
Emma Finucane celebrates the record-breaking team triumph. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian
Ultimately, there was no settling for less, as the trio clinched the title with an explosive last lap from Finucane. “I literally saw red,” she recalled. “Katy handled the first lap, Soph set me up for the final lap, and I pushed it to the limit. I saw red, and I think that’s what it takes to win. To break world records, you have to go further than your body has ever gone, and I discovered that. We all did that day. But we enjoyed the experience too.”
The anticipated high-speed sprints on the broader track came to fruition, as the world team sprint record was broken multiple times, first by New Zealand, then by Great Britain, followed by Germany, before the British group set another record with a time of 45.338 seconds. Remarkably, there was even more to come.
As the three sprinters reveled in their gold medal, Team GB’s cyclists commenced their medal quest earnestly, demonstrating strong performances that suggested more medals are on the horizon as the week advances.
In the men’s 4,000m team pursuit qualifying, Ethan Hayter, Oliver Wood, Dan Bigham, and Ethan Vernon clocked the fastest time for most of the session until the Australian team of Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy, and Kelland O’Brien surpassed them.
With the top four moving on to compete for gold and silver, the pace of the Australian pursuit team was blistering, nearly approaching a new world record with a time of 3:42.958. Team GB’s performance was commendable at 3:43.241.
Denmark secured third place while Italy came in fourth, and the quartet will now advance to compete for gold and silver on Wednesday evening. France, New Zealand, Belgium, and Canada are set to compete for the bronze medal.
In the men’s team sprint qualifiers, Ed Lowe, Hamish Turnbull, and Jack Carlin raced second to last, taking an early lead until the Dutch team of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen, and Roy van den Berg set an Olympic record, qualifying fastest for the sprint finals on Tuesday.
However, as Finucane expressed, it was “100% a significant statement by the women’s sprinters” that had been long overdue, and establishing momentum was crucial for Team GB.
“We all have our individual objectives, but winning gold on the first night gives us a boost,” Finucane stated. “We’ll take each race one at a time. But this victory instills a lot of confidence for the remainder of the week.”
