Emma Finucane Claims Keirin Bronze, Eyes Sprint Glory

Emma Finucane earned a “surreal” bronze medal in the women’s keirin at the Paris Olympics, marking her second medal of the Games. Finucane, who had hoped to become the first British female athlete to win three golds in a single Olympics, fell short of her goal. New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews took gold while Dutch rider Hetty van de Wouw claimed silver. Despite her disappointment in not achieving gold, Finucane described her bronze medal as feeling “like gold” because she gave her all during the race.

She also expressed excitement about her upcoming chance in the individual sprint. Katy Marchant, who was part of the gold-winning team in the team sprint, finished fourth in the keirin. In the men’s omnium, Ethan Hayter ended up eighth after a challenging four-race event won by France’s Benjamin Thomas. Portugal’s Iuri Leitao won silver, and Belgium’s Fabio van den Bossche took bronze.

In other velodrome events, Jack Carlin advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s sprint while Hamish Turnbull was eliminated. Emma Finucane, who qualified for the keirin final after a photo finish in the semi-finals, managed to move from the back of the pack to secure third place. She was thrilled to have her family from Carmarthen in the audience, celebrating her achievements.

Finucane’s next opportunity for a medal will be in the women’s sprint, where she is the reigning world champion. Meanwhile, Hayter struggled in the omnium, unable to recover from a poor start and a recent team pursuit loss. Despite these challenges, Finucane’s bronze maintains Great Britain’s streak of winning a medal each day at the velodrome in Paris. Carlin’s sprint campaign continues with a semi-final showdown against Dutch champion Harrie Lavreysen.