Emma Finucane of Great Britain Rockets to Victory, Securing GB’s First Female European Sprint Title

Emma Finucane has recently etched her name in the books of history. The 21-year-old athlete has become the first female sprint champion representing Great Britain. Finucane accomplished this glorious feat recently while competing at the European Track Cycling Championship in the Netherlands. The youngster from Wales displayed impeccable skills to breeze through the initial rounds. After setting up a semi-final clash with Emma Hinze, the entire community thought the fight would be a tough one for Finucane. 

However, contrary to the consensus, Finucane bossed her game and easily cruised past her opponent to set her foot in the finals. With the history now being made, let us take a look at how her final match went. 

Emma Finucane startled by her coveted cycling feat

Setting up a final clash with Germany’s Lea Sophie Friedrich, Finucane seemed to be on another planet. This was a known territory for Finucane as both the athletes had a history of clashing with each other. However, once the race started, it was quite evident as to who among the two was the more dominant. While Friedrich looked compact, the 21-year-old oozed confidence. She seemed hungry and was determined to steal the victory at any cost. 

Friedrich initially accelerated, but that did not dent Finucane’s confidence. She kept steady and came from behind to take a 1-0 lead. In the second round, too, Finucane saw herself start on the outside. However, once again, she pushed hard and clawed back into the race, applying significant pressure on Friedrich. When the final round started, the rider from Carmarthen remained high on the track, opting to move around the top of her opponent. In the final moments, Finucane went full throttle along the home to outpace the German and ultimately create victory. 

Such an incredible feat surprised the athlete. Let us hear what she has to say. 

Finucane pours her heart out on the victory 

Speaking about her victory, Finucane expressed her disbelief about achieving the historic milestone. Reflecting on her nervous state of mind, she said, “I’m speechless to be honest, I didn’t really know how I’d go coming into this competition…Obviously it’s really early on in the season and this is my first time competing at a major championships in the rainbows; I was really nervous.” 

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Finucane further stated that she was happy that she could cope with all the adversities and was finally able to achieve what the crowd expected from her. She concluded her statement by saying that she wanted to continue with her aggressive style of racing and would look to carry on with the momentum forward. 

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