After Ending Her Country’s Wait for a Women’s Sprint World Championship, the 20-Year-Old Welsh Cycling Sensation Is Poised to Win Big

In any sport, perseverance is the name of the game. Good things come to those who never give up. We see examples of this across all sports – like Jamie Vardy’s soccer career taking off when he was 25 or Kurt Warner turning pro in the NFL at 28. While Emma Finucane wouldn’t know too much about starting late, she certainly knows a lot about waiting. Although today she stands as Wales and Britain’s latest sprint world champion, her country has waited 10 whole years for this moment.

In fact, just last year, Finucane was flying under the radar in the UCI Track Champions League. However, in the last two months, things have really picked up for the champ. In August, the 20-year-old shot her way to gold in Glasgow. While she has not raced competitively since her crowning achievement, she is scheduled to return to the boards in Mallorca this Saturday.

How Emma Finucane Became Champ

Finucane is clearly looking for a challenge to back up her win in Glasgow. Luckily for her, she has the opportunity to compete with the top sprint and endurance track cyclists in the UCI Track Champions League. The competition is approaching eminently with rounds in Palma, Berlin, Paris, and two in London. “I’m really excited to race and try new things and get back on the boards,” says Finucane.

The champ described her experience with the competition last year as a “bit of a shock to the system.” However, this year she strolls in as one of the heavy favorites. The Welsh athlete is on such a good run that she is already being pitched as a contender for the 2024 Olympics.

A British woman hasn’t won Olympic Gold in the sprint since Victoria Pendleton at the Beijing Games in 2008. Many are tipping the Welsh athlete to break another cold streak.

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Back in Mallorca, Finucane will face Canada’s reigning Olympic champion Kelsey Mitchell; a familiar rival. Meanwhile, Kiwi World Champion Ellesse Andrews will also be competing.

Who Else is Competing

Still, Finucane is gracious enough to seek knowledge from her rivals, saying she learned a lot from Kelsey Mitchell and Mathilde Gros last year. While Germany’s European champion Alessa-Catriona Propster will be one of the competition’s favorites, Finucane’s British teammates, Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchan, will also compete with her.

In other events, Dutch Olympic and world champion Harrie Lavreysen will be looking to win against the men. However, he faces stiff competition from Australia’s Matthew Richardson, who won the Champions League title last year.

Britain’s two-time Olympic champion Katie Archibald has been tipped as one of the favorites to win in the women’s endurance. Meanwhile, Swiss Claudio Imhof will be defending his men’s endurance crown. Each format will include a sprint and keirin competition for the sprint riders. Meanwhile, the endurance riders compete in scratch and elimination races.

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