Lowri Thomas, Emma Finucane and Rhian Edmunds with their bronze medals at the Birmingham 2022 GamesImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Emma Finucane (centre), Lowri Thomas (left) and Rhian Edmunds (right) return in Glasgow as they attempt to upgrade their team sprint bronze from 2022.

Finucane will compete in the team sprint, the individual sprint, the 1km time trial and the keirin in Glasgow.

There is an impressive crop of British track cycling sprinters threatening her ambitions at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

The England team has Finucane’s Olympic gold-winning team-mates Sophie Capewell and Katy Marchant, while Rhianna Parris-Smith has helped Finucane to UCI Track World Cup silver in Hong Kong this year.

Scotland’s Lauren Bell, who won sprint and keirin gold at the British Championships in 2024, could also provide stiff competition.

And that’s before mentioning New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews, who won three golds in Birmingham in the individual sprint, keirin and team sprint competitions.

  • Wales at the Commonwealth Games

A competitive couple

Finucane’s partner, Matt Richardson is also a cyclist and represents England after switching allegiance from Australia.

She says they have a “fun relationship on the bike”.

“We are really competitive people; if it’s a game of Monopoly or it’s a bike race, we are competitive and I think we use that to our strength.

Finucane says dating a fellow cyclist helps them to get what the other person might need, whether competitions have gone well or badly.

“He understands completely what I’m feeling or how the times are, what I’ll be happy with or what I’ll be disappointed with.

“That’s something really nice and not many people get that.

“You can literally go to your partner and he’ll be like ‘It’s okay’.

“He gives me so much advice on what I can do or how to deal with things and I’d like to say vice versa.

“He’s a lot more experienced than me, but I think I do bring a presence of a bit more calm and maybe perspective in the sport too.

“I think we’re a good team together.”

Richardson however will no longer be competing at the Games after being forced out by injury.

  • Welsh rider Finucane sets new world sprint record

    • Published
      2 February
  • Finucane makes history with third medal in Paris

    • Published
      11 August 2024
  • Finucane wants to be ‘unstoppable’ by 2028 Olympics

    • Published
      31 December 2024

‘My Oscars’ and ‘legacy’ in the sport

Finucane hopes a good showing in Glasgow will enhance her legacy in the sport.

“For us there’s pressure everywhere, but I also feel calm coming into this Commonwealth Games; I have nothing to prove,” she mentioned.

“Obviously I do want to stand on that top step, and that will be the goal I’m trying to do; I’ve never achieved that in my career.

“But also I have my ‘Oscars’, as I call them.

“I won the Olympics, I’ve become world champion and I want to see how far I’ve gone in this sport.

“I want to win as much as I can, I want to be on the track as much as I can, representing Team Wales.

“So there is pressure. I’ll definitely use that to drive me to try to win as many bike races as I can.

“It’ll be insane to be in Glasgow, wearing the Welsh jersey, in front of my friends and family.

“I’m going to see how far I can go.”

Related topics

  • Commonwealth Games
  • Wales Sport
  • Cycling

✔ today silver rate

✔ 2026 winter olympics

✔ chat gtp

✔ silver rate today

✔ silver rate today live

✔ 2030 winter olympics

Read More

Sports

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *