The track cyclist is already the world champion in the women’s sprint. She is the youngest British woman to win, and only the third overall, after Victoria Pendleton and Rebecca James.
They went on to do remarkable things at the Olympics, and when the track cycling season begins in Paris, Finucane’s prospects are strong.
Over the next seven days, she plans to compete in the women’s team sprint, individual sprint, and keirin events. Three events, three Olympic gold medals up for grabs.
So, how did she get to Paris as one of Team GB’s ones to watch?
It all began at the Carmarthen Velodrome in 2011. Carmarthen Park’s outdoor track was established in 1900 and claims to be one of the world’s oldest velodromes.
Emma, eight years old, would accompany her sister Rosie and brother Sean. She started with pink tassels hanging off her handlebars, but it wasn’t long before she began training and racing with Towy Riders, a local cycling club.
“I remember her first race,” says her father, Rory. “You could tell she enjoyed it so much that she became competitive. She worked hard and was really enthusiastic.
“She just enjoyed racing,” says her mother, Susie. “She didn’t care if the weather was horrible. It was also the speed—she constantly did it.
