Team GB claim glorious cycling sprint gold as Emma Finucane emerges as new star in Paris

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Every Olympics we say this is the one when Team GB’s results in the velodrome are bound to fall off a cliff. And every Olympics they keep finding new ways to stay on top.

Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and rising star Emma Finucane got Team GB’s week off to the perfect start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on Monday night, smashing the world record in three successive rounds to claim a glorious team sprint gold and set up another potential gold rush.

We shall see about that. But what a night this was. And what a performance from these three, who have all had such different journeys to get here. Even Marchant, the ‘veteran’ of the team at 31 was not around when Britain last qualified a women’s sprint team for the Olympics, back in London 2012, when Victoria Pendleton and Jess Varnish were controversially disqualified.

Now a mother of two-year-old Arthur, who was watching from the stands, Marchant was absolutely bawling her eyes out afterwards. “I think he was a bit overwhelmed by everything, as we all were,” she laughed, adding that she had had to get Arthur over to her hotel after spending the last two weeks apart.

“I didn’t want the first time I saw him to be in the stands or I’d have been sobbing my heart out so we needed to get that out of the way,” she said. “But every time I looked up today I saw him so it just makes it even more special, the memories will last forever.”

Then there is Capewell, who lost her father Nigel, a former Team GB paracyclist, in 2021. She was in floods of tears afterwards as she told the BBC how much she wished he had lived to witness this moment. Capewell had Sir Jason Kenny, the seven-time Olympic champion and now coach of the men’s team, holding her bike at the start. “Pretty cool huh?” she grinned. “I’m wearing his helmet as well from a previous Games. He was no longer using it, so I said ‘I’ll have that one!’”

And lastly, Finucane. If you have not yet heard of her, get ready to hear a lot more because the Welshwoman is the real deal. A world champion at 20, and now an Olympic champion at 21. Finucane has been tipped for glory by everyone in the build-up to these Games. Dame Laura Kenny reckons she can win Thursday’s individual sprint and Sunday’s keirin as well. She always said the team sprint was her priority as it is by far the most controllable. But it is fair to say this will have taken a lot of pressure off her.

Finucane will be absolutely flying now. Perhaps that is to be expected from the great-niece of Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane, the Spitfire ace who remains the youngest ever wing commander in the RAF and became a national icon for his heroics in the Battle of Britain.

On a night when the world record in the event was lowered five times, the way the GB trio rose to the occasion was nothing short of brilliant. They set a new benchmark of 45.472sec in qualifying. Then after Germany and New Zealand lowered it still further in the first round, Britain snatched it back again with a 45.338.

The final was absolutely gripping with New Zealand starting fast but failing to sustain it. Marchant was fractionally slower than her Kiwi counterpart on the opening lap, +0.133sec off the pace. But crucially, she provided the momentum for Capewell and then Finucane, to storm through to win in 45.186sec. “Honestly, I literally saw red on that last lap,” Finucane said. “I think that’s what it takes to win and to break world records, you have to go deeper than you’ve ever gone before.”

What can this do now for Team GB’s medal chances this week? That is the question. The injury suffered a few weeks ago by the totemic Katie Archibald was a huge blow to this squad but this was some way to kickstart the week.

Britain will have another good chance of a gold or silver in the men’s team sprint on Tuesday with the GB trio of Ed Lowe, Hamish Turnbull and Jack Carlin qualifying second quickest for the first round, albeit they were over half a second down on the reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands.

There was also a very encouraging performance from the men’s pursuit team with the quartet of Ethan Hayter, Ollie Wood, Dan Bigham and Ethan Vernon qualifying second fastest behind Australia. The GB time of 3:43.241 was almost two seconds quicker than they have ever ridden and only 0.3sec slower than Australia.

It is Finucane, though, who is set to become the star of these Games. Understandably, she preferred not dwell on her individual goals, especially while standing next to her two team mates. But this will have given her an enormous boost. “Getting gold on the first night gives us all momentum,” she admitted. “This gives us all a lot of confidence for the rest of the week.”

Team GB win women’s team sprint: As it happened

07:40 PM BST

More track cycling medal action tomorrow

That’s it for tonight from day one in the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome, thanks for reading.

Tomorrow, there’s women’s team pursuit qualifying, the first round of the men’s team pursuit and the first round and finals of the men’s team sprint.

Can Jack Carlin, Hamish Turnbull and Ed Lowe emulate their female compatriots? The Dutch, who qualified fastest, will take some beating.

07:35 PM BST

What a start to Team GB’s campaign in the velodrome

07:27 PM BST

Pressure is off rising star Fincuane

We’re going to have the podium ceremony before they come through the mixed zone. But I think it’s fair to say that that will take a huge amount of pressure off Emma Finucane in her bid for an historic treble. Anything now is a bonus and she will be absolutely flying in the sprint and keirin.

Incidentally, it was nice to see Sir Jason Kenny, seven-time Olympic champion and now men’s sprint coach, behind Sophie Capewell at the start of that final. Not a bad person to have behind you.

07:15 PM BST

From trying to simply qualify for the Olympics to winning the whole thing

Speaking to Eurosport, GB’s newest gold medallists react.

Katy Marchant is first on the mic:

Emma Finucane:

A tearful Sophie Capewell:

07:07 PM BST

Tears and cheers

World record in qualifying. World record in the first round. World record in the final. GB were nothing if not consistent...

They raced to gold cheered to the rafters in Paris. Katy Marchant kisses her baby boy in the stands and takes a Union flag, and the trio pose with it. Sophie Capewell is in tears, the enormity of what they have achieved just hitting her.

07:03 PM BST

It’s gold for Team GB in the women’s team sprint with another world record

They stepped up their game even further and the trio delivered. Team GB finished in 45.186, almost half a second up on New Zealand. Yet another world record.

Rebecca Petch took the Kiwis to an early lead, but there was no panic. Katy Marchant put in a strong first lap for GB, Sophie Capewell put GB into the lead and Emma Finucane finished it off with a flourish.

07:00 PM BST

Here we go...

Katy Marchant will lead GB off, straining with every fibre of her being before peeling off for Sophie Capewell. She’ll fly round the 250-metre lap and then it’s all down to Emma Finucane, the reigning world sprint champion.

750 metres, gone in 45.3 seconds or so.

06:58 PM BST

Germany beat Netherlands for bronze

Germany stray close to the world record, clocking 45.400 to get the better of the Netherlands.

It’s time for the gold medal match: Great Britain against New Zealand. Deep breaths sucked in, game faces on for Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane.

06:53 PM BST

Medal finals about to start in women’s team sprint

In the minor ride-offs, Poland get the better of Canada for seventh place. Mexico take the scalp of defending Olympic champions PR China to take fifth. One of the shocks of the day, that.

Now, it’s Germany v Netherlands for bronze and then the big one to end the session: Great Britain against New Zealand.

This has been an impressive improvement from the women racing in dark blue. GB hadn’t qualified for the Olympic team sprint since 2012, now they’re going for gold.

06:42 PM BST

Time for the women’s team sprint final - Team GB against New Zealand

Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane, likely to bring it home so strongly, will start as narrow favourites. New Zealand have stepped up and surprised here to make it into the gold medal race. Can they spring a surprise or will it be a first gold in the velodrome for Great Britain?

And will we see yet another world record?

06:39 PM BST

The Netherlands go fastest - men’s team sprint qualifying results

They were always up on Team GB from the first split, and Harrie Lavreysen brought it home in 41.179. That is astonishingly fast, it’s a new Olympic record. They’re the team to beat again.

They return to the action tomorrow for the first round heats. The qualifying standings:

1. Netherlands 41.279

2. Great Britain 41.862

3. Australia 42.072

4. Japan 42.174

5. France 42.267

6. People’s Republic of China 42.606

7. Germany 43.009

8. Canada 43.905

06:34 PM BST

Great Britain go fastest

What a last lap turnaround. Straining and powering, last man Jack Carlin put in a shift and a half, turning down a 0.5-second deficit. That could be a sign of his form ahead of the keirin and individual sprint too.

They stopped the clock at 41.862. Last off are the world-beating Netherlands.

06:32 PM BST

Australia go fastest in men’s team sprint

They were fading on the final lap there but no matter. 42.072 is a flying time and puts them top of the leaderboard.

France can’t better it, and now it’s Team GB’s turn.

06:29 PM BST

GB team sprint support: it’s a family affair

Katy Marchant’s family are sitting just beneath me wearing white ‘Team Marchant’ T-shirts and waving Union flags. Marchant’s son Arthur is now two years old. They were going potty after GB lowered the world record again in the 1st round. Marchant gave them a little wave and a smile during her warm-down laps. Should be a great final vs New Zealand in half an hour or so.

06:25 PM BST

Men’s team sprint qualifying underway

Great Britain go off seventh, second to last of the eight competing teams. Hamish Turnbull, Jack Carlin and Ed Lowe will be giving it full whack. Anything below the 42-second range will be very competitive on this super-fast Paris track. The world record of 41.225, set by the Netherlands in 2020, could fall tonight.

The first four teams have finished, with Japan just going fastest.

1. Japan 42.174

2. China 42.606

3. Germany 43.009

4. Canada 43.905

06:16 PM BST

Women’s team sprint first round results – so close between the top three

1. Great Britain 45.338 WR beat Canada 46.816

2. New Zealand 45.348 beat Poland 47.022

3. Germany 45.377 beat Mexico 46.198

4. Netherlands 45.798 beat People’s Republic of China 46.362

06:10 PM BST

Team GB take another world record and qualify fastest

Three heats, three world records.

Team GB go fastest with a time of 45.338, marginally quicker than New Zealand. They will go for gold in the women’s team sprint final at approximately 18:45 BST. Time to cool down in the cauldron-like temperatures and control the adrenaline, if they possibly can after all that. That final will be unmissable and could come down to hundredths of seconds, based on those narrow first round margins.

06:07 PM BST

Now New Zealand lower the world record

Anything Germany can do... another team sprint world record. With a time of 45.348, New Zealand are fastest and set for the gold medal ride. This track is as quick as everyone was saying.

Up next, Team GB will need to go faster than their qualifying time and break that new standard to race for first place. No sweat?

06:04 PM BST

Germany break world record

That Team GB mark didn’t last very long. Germany gets the better of Mexico and have delivered a new world record, clocking 45.377 in the second heat. They won’t give up on gold without an almighty fight.

New Zealand were surprise second place qualifiers, buoyed by a blistering opening lap by Rebecca Petch. Let’s see if they can challenge that time.

05:59 PM BST

Women’s team sprint first round underway

This pits fourth fastest qualifier against fifth, third against sixth, second against seventh and first fastest qualifier against eighth – in that order. So, Team GB go off last against Canada.

It’s still a matter of riding all-out: teams need to win their individual heat and ride a fast enough time to ensure it’s good enough for the gold medal final, not the bronze one. It’s both a match and a timed event.

Olympic champions China have crashed out in the first heat, beaten by the Netherlands. 45.798 is a handy time, but that is a surprise.

05:53 PM BST

Bigham: GB pursuit team can break world record and win gold

On the subject of those men’s pursuit times, I had a chat with GB team pursuiter Dan Bigham last week - always an interesting experience - and asked him whether it would take a world record to win here. Also, whether after the massive leap we saw in Tokyo we might even see times dip below 3min40sec. His answer was enlightening.

“I think first of all at Tokyo you had very good atmospherics,” he said. “It was high so there was a little bit of altitude plus the temperature and humidity. The air density was really good. So that’s why it was so much quicker. That’s worth two seconds versus a normal track at sea level. So that’s one of the reasons you had such a big jump.

“There was a lot of technology, plus another year of R&D because of the delay in the Olympics. The converse is true here. You’re back towards sea level, there’s one year less [preparation time] and the financial situation worldwide and not least in the cycling industry is not what it was. So I don’t believe the R&D will be quite so big as in the last cycle. And I don’t believe the jump will be quite so big.

“But even so I’d be pretty confident you’re going to have to fight for a world record in the final if you want to win. Going into the 3 30s is possible but that’s a big old stretch. I think a world record there or thereabouts is probably what it’s going to take to win.”

I then asked whether GB had the quartet to do that. “I’m very sure we’ve got the quartet to do that,” he replied. “European champs. World champs on that track. We’re going fast. We’re all in a good place. Absolutely we can do it.”

05:50 PM BST

Sophie Capewell was all smiles after the qualifying round

05:41 PM BST

Women’s team sprint first round coming up at 17:55

It’ll shortly be time to see whether Team GB’s team sprinters Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane can improve on their world record mark and qualify for the gold medal final at approximately 18:45 BST.

It’s fastest qualifier against eighth fastest, so they’ll be up against Canada in the fourth and final heat.

05:37 PM BST

Italy only manage fourth; GB qualify second for first round

A drama-filled four or so minutes for Italy. They went faster than the Australian standard with 1,500m to go, then they lost Francisco Lamon and their pace stalled. They nearly had a dire changeover, with Consonni close to losing the wheel. It took a three-lap turn from Filippo Ganna to see them home.

There are eight qualifiers for tomorrow evening’s first round, but only the top four can ride for gold. Team GB are right in the hunt. Ride like that tomorrow and Italy’s defending champions will be leaving Paris with nothing.

The results from the men’s team pursuit qualifying round:

1. Australia 3:42.958

2. Great Britain 3:43.241

3. Denmark 3:43.690

4. Italy 3:44.351

5. France 3:45.514

6. New Zealand 3:45.616

7. Belgium 3:47.232

8. Canada 3:48.964

9. Germany 3:50.083

10. Japan 3:53.489

05:30 PM BST

Denmark finish provisional third fastest

The team pursuit is a question of precarious balance. Don’t go off too fast. Keep that fourth man for as long as you can. Go over the limits too early and there’s no recouping losses.

Red-clad reigning world champions Denmark were over a second up on Australia in the first kilometre, but they were writing cheques their bodies couldn’t cash. They went down to three riders just after the two-kilometre mark and from there, they were visibly slowing, bodies rocking, gears turning with less souplesse.

3:43.690 puts them provisionally third, with Olympic champions Italy last team off.

05:24 PM BST

Australia go faster than Team GB

Quite the see-saw. First, they were up on GB, then they were down, but just before the 3km mark, the Aussie trio upped their game and finished 0.3 seconds ahead. Fair dinkum, as they say there Down Under.

With Denmark and Italy left to race, both teams are guaranteed of finishing top four and staying in with a chance of racing for gold. In contrast, Tokyo bronze medallists New Zealand could only manage fourth fastest, surprisingly going slower than the host nation.

Here are the live standings:

1. Australia 3:42.958

2. Great Britain 3:43.241

3. France 3:45.514

4. New Zealand 3:45.616

5. Belgium 3:47.232

6. Canada 3:48.964

7. Germany 3:50.083

8. Japan 3:53.489

05:18 PM BST

Strong GB start a far cry from 2015

Decent start to this competition by Great Britain. I remember my first visit here for the World Championships back in 2015 when it was newly-opened. It was a disastrous one for GB, their worst for 14 years in terms of medals. Three silvers, as I recall, all in endurance events. I remember Shane Sutton joking someone might need to “bring a gun” if results were as bad the following year.

But he insisted there was no need to panic: “What you’ve got to remember is that going into Rio we hope we’ll be walking into the track centre with the likes of Brad Wiggins, Jason Kenny stepping up to the plate and people looking up and taking notice again.” He was right, to be fair.

05:16 PM BST

The Olympic velodrome action always delivers choice photography

05:11 PM BST

Allez! The velodrome erupts for the French quartet

It’s a far cry from the Japanese ride before them, likely to be the slowest. Boudat, Denis, Tabillion and Thomas stayed a second off Team GB’s times most of the way round, keeping together for the 4,000 metres. Their time of 3:45.514 puts them provisionally second, with four teams to go. Très rapide.

A reminder: this qualifying round is for seeding. Only the top four teams can subsequently compete for the gold medal. The two slowest teams from the ten competing will be eliminated. The first round, to decide the medal finals, will be tomorrow at 18:14 BST.

Up next: New Zealand, Australia, Denmark then Italy.

The standings so far:

1. Great Britain 3:43.241

2. France 3:45.514

3. Belgium 3:47.232

4. Canada 3:48.964

5. Germany 3:50.083

6. Japan 3:53.489

04:57 PM BST

“Sensational” Team GB fastest so far in team pursuit

They went down to three riders into the final 1500 metres, but that didn’t stunt their effort much. Hunkered down in their aerodynamics tucks, Team GB’s finishing trio delivered one of the fastest rides in team pursuit history. 3:43:241 is their time, just a second slower than Italy’s world record set in Tokyo.

They have to qualify in the top four to contend for the medals, and it would be a shocker if that flying ride doesn’t do it.

“Absolutely sensational,” says Eurosport pundit Jo Rowsell. The standings so far:

1. Great Britain 3:43.241

2. Belgium 3:47.232

3. Canada 3:48.964

4. Germany 3:50.083

04:53 PM BST

Team GB flying

Ethan Vernon, Ethan Hayter, Ollie Wood and Dan Bigham take to the Siberian pine boards and start their campaign. They are 1.6 seconds up on Belgium through the first kilometre, with a 1:00.992. This could bother the world record as they go faster and faster.

Of course, it’s all about managing the effort and staying together, and fast, through the third and fourth kilometre.

04:50 PM BST

Team GB up next – men’s team pursuit standings so far

1. Belgium 3:47.232

2. Canada 3:48.964

3. Germany 3:50.083

04:49 PM BST

Team GB’s team sprint world record had the velodrome in raptures

04:42 PM BST

The men’s team pursuit is underway – what is it?

The men’s team pursuit is underway on the track. The Belgium squad have set a decent time of 3:47.232.

Ten nations line up for qualifying in the men’s event this afternoon. Four riders set off from a standing start, aiming to set the fastest time over 16 laps of the track, totalling 4,000 metres.

Only three need to finish; the time is taken on the third man. So, it’s not just about aerodynamics and pure speed, it’s also about working cohesively while at the absolute physical limit and a few centimetres from your team-mate’s back wheel. Easier said than done.

It’s a very competitive field: Italy are the reigning Olympic champions, boasting star Filippo Ganna in their ranks. Denmark have upped their game in recent years and won the world title at the most recent championships in 2023, held on home soil in Copenhagen. Australia have had some right ding dongs with Team GB in this race over the years, and New Zealand can hold their own too.

Last, but certainly not least, Team GB’s men won this event at the Olympics in 2008, 2012 and 2016. They will be in with a shout of gold - after all, they were world team pursuits on this very track two years ago, after all. The quartet will be picked from a squad of Dan Bigham, Ethan Vernon, Charlie Tanfield, Ethan Hayter and Ollie Wood.

04:36 PM BST

Job done for Team GB women’s sprint trio

Job done by GB’s women’s sprint team. So much pressure on them. In particular Emma Finucane, of course, with everyone talking up a possible Olympic treble for the 21-year-old. So that was highly impressive, qualifying fastest (with a world record).

Katy Marchant was 0.2sec off the first lap mark set by New Zealand’s Rebecca Petch, Sophie Capewell then reduced the deficit to 0.053sec and Finucane pulled out a 0.172sec advantage by the finish. Huge roars here as Finucane crossed the line. They’ve clearly brought family and friends.

04:33 PM BST

Women’s team sprint qualifying results

Well, well, well, Team GB and Northern Ireland are the ones to beat after lowering the world record. Germany and China will be hoping for better in the first round, which will decide the medal finals. That takes place at approximately 17:55 BST.

1. Great Britain 45.472 WR

2. New Zealand 45.593

3. Germany 45.644

4. Netherlands 46.086

5. People’s Republic of China 46.458

6. Mexico 46.587

7. Poland 47.284

8. Canada 47.578

04:29 PM BST

China only fifth fastest

A lot of work to do for China. They’ve lost their world record and can only manage fifth, clocking 46.458.

04:24 PM BST

Only one team to go

There’s another surprise: Germany can’t match Team GB’s barnstorming ride. 45.644 is only good enough for provisional third, with world record holders China still to come. New Zealand have really delivered the goods this afternoon.

... and there’ll be a brief delay as China’s trio deliver the first false start of the Olympic track cycling action. They’ll roll round and go for it again.

04:21 PM BST

Team GB go fastest with new world record

The Union flags are flying and fans are cheering as Team GB go fastest, setting a new world record with 45.472.

The trio looked a little nervy, rolling up to the start on their aerodynamic Hope bikes and with visors on which cover their eyes, but that will have settled any butterflies. Katy Marchant in woman one strained and powered to take them close to the blistering New Zealand first lap mark, before Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane kept it going to better the New Zealand mark.

04:14 PM BST

Women’s team sprint qualifying standings so far

1. New Zealand 45.593

2. Netherlands 46.086

3. Mexico 46.587

4. Poland 47.284

5. Canada 47.578

Bear in mind, no team is eliminated in this round. It’s for the purpose of seeding for the first round, which will decide the medal finals.

04:13 PM BST

New Zealand move into the lead

That’s some ride from the unfancied Kiwi trio. 45.593 takes the black-clad very close to the world record. That will put them in the conversation for later medal rides. But is the track running especially fast or did they just ace their 750-metre sprint?

Poland and Mexico can’t come close to beating that.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland are coming up in about five minutes, third from last of the eight teams.

04:04 PM BST

We’re off!

After a light show designed to amp up the crowd, landing somewhere between a 1990s nightclub and Kraftwerk gig, Canada get the Olympic track cycling under way with their women’s team sprint qualifying effort.

It’s an Olympic record of 47.578 seconds, but only because this is the first time in Games history that three female competitors are taking part rather than two. Expect to see Great Britain, Germany and China go over two seconds quicker than that.

03:51 PM BST

Hotting up

It’s 30 degrees in Paris, but a lot hotter inside the Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome. It’s a bit like a greenhouse, a hermetically-sealed, slightly-airless arena made for speed and spectacle.

“Boiling hot, but the riders will love that because it will mean fast times,” says Jo Rowsell on the Eurosport punditry.

Racing gets underway in ten minutes time, with the first of eight teams in women’s team sprint qualifying.

03:34 PM BST

What is the team sprint?

These track races will come thick and fast over the next six days, some more self-explanatory than others, so it’s a good time to go into a little bit of detail.

The first event of the track cycling in Paris is the team sprint. Each competing nation has three sprinters. They take off from a standing start, with each rider riding as hard as possible for a 250-metre lap before the final rider makes a mad dash for the line. The fastest team wins. For the first time at the Olympic Games, the women’s teams also have three sprinters on the track, an increase from the previous two.

Over in 45 seconds or so, it’s all about power, speed and smoothness.

The event takes place across three rounds – qualifying for seeding purposes, first round (which pits first fastest qualifier against eighth, second against seventh, third against sixth and fourth versus fifth) and a medal final. The two fastest teams from that first round will subsequently race for gold, while the third and fourth-fastest teams will race for bronze.

China have the women’s team sprint world record, setting a new mark of 45.487 seconds in June. The Netherlands set the men’s standard of 41.225 seconds back in 2020.

03:28 PM BST

Track cycling gets underway

Hello, and welcome to our live rolling blog from the first day of the track cycling at the Paris Olympic Games.

The velodrome has been a happy medal-hunting ground for Team GB’s fastest on two wheels this century: the squad returned home from Tokyo with three gold medals, three silvers and a bronze on the Siberian pine in 2021. The speedy track at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines ought to be no different. Several medal contenders have tipped world records to fall in the sprint events.

The action gets underway with women’s team sprint qualifying at 16:00 BST, followed by the men’s team pursuit qualifying (16:27 BST). The quartet, to be picked from a squad of Dan Bigham, Ethan Vernon, Charlie Tanfield, Ethan Hayter and Ollie Wood, will be up against the might of defending champions Italy, who boast Filippo Ganna in their ranks.

Then there is the women’s team sprint first round (approximately 17:55 BST) before it is the turn of Hamish Turnbull, Jack Carlin and Ed Lowe to set a fast mark in the men’s team sprint qualifying. The women’s team sprint finals (18:45 BST) brings the day’s session to a close.

Great Britain are the reigning world champions and their trio of Emma Finucane, Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant have a strong chance of gold. However, defending Olympic champions Germany are likely to push them all the way.

Backed by the recently-retired Laura Kenny to win multiple medals (no pressure), reigning world sprint champion Finucane - pronounced ‘Fi-NOO-kuhn’ - is making her Olympic debut. The 21-year-old won’t be known to most sports fans in the street, but if she does take gold in the team sprint, keirin and sprint in the forthcoming week, she’ll be on the way to being a household name whose face appears on cereal boxes. The team sprint is the first of the Welshwoman’s chances and it’s her top priority.

“It’s the most controllable event,” she told the Telegraph’s Tom Cary in a wide-ranging interview. “Three girls, three laps and you know roughly what it’s going to take to win gold. You’re going to have to break a world record. We know that.”

Finucane figures that if she wins the team sprint, everything else is a bonus. “Am I ready? I guess two years ago, I didn’t think I’d even be going to Paris and now I’m world champion and everyone is tipping me for big things. I don’t know. I’m just trying to do my best. I’m trying to make the younger me proud.”