Day to remember for record-breaking Finucane

ByGareth Griffiths

BBC Sport Wales

Not many top sports stars have perfect days during their career.

Creating history by winning a fourth track cycling Commonwealth gold in one Games and leading your nation into the closing ceremony will come close for Wales' Emma Finucane.

The 23-year-old from Carmarthen started the day at 9am in the first heat of the keirin.

Twelve hours later and having emphatically claimed the gold on the final day of competition, Finucane was tasked with carrying the Welsh flag as Glasgow closed the Games.

"I don't think I'll ever believe I've created history here and I can't believe little me has done this," said Finucane.

"The 10-year-old Emma is screaming inside about what is going on. I don't think it'll sink in probably until the next Commonwealth Games."

The 23-year-old's fantastic four gold medals on the track in one Commonwealth Games has not been done before. By anybody in any velodrome.

This was in not just any old velodrome. It was the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome. The Scottish legend who is considered one of the finest track sprinters in history.

But Sir Chris did not win four Commonwealth titles at one Games. Nor did Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny, Becky North or Anna Meares.

Wales' own golden girl now has, but the rider herself would not comprehend the comparisons.

"No, I'm nowhere near them," said Finucane.

"They are icons of the sport. Absolute legends. To even have my name beside them is insane.

"I am not in their class but it's something you don't think about as an athlete. We're in a little bubble in here.

"I am going to keep doing what I'm doing, go out there and ride with passion and love and see how far I can go in the sport."

Finucane has already gone pretty far probably considering she was already an Olympic champion at 21 and has achieved this remarkable feat in Glasgow at 23.

Pressure was on her this week to achieve the four golds because she was an obvious class apart from the field. Even a field that included triple Olympic champion Ellesse Andrews.

After winning the team sprint with Rhian Edmunds and Lowri Thomas, Finucane was imperious with stunning success in the individual sprint, 1,000m time trial and keirin.

Her physical prowess is there for everybody to see but her mental capability has also stood up to the test over four remarkable days.

"I definitely felt the pressure," said Finucane.

"Throughout the week, I just rode for my own race and it unfolded how it did. 


"After yesterday, the media were asking can you do four? I wanted to and knew it might be possible.

"In that semi-final I nearly didn't get through so I just enjoyed that final. I wanted to ride a race I was proud of.

"I rode it with confidence. I got myself to the front and just went out there and left everything on the track."

Finucane has also created history in her own country by becoming the most successful Welsh woman in Games history.

The honour of representing Wales is important to her as Finucane normally competes for Great Britain in major events like the Olympics and world championships.

Finucane revealed she has been inspired by a speech by her Welsh team-mate Lewis Oliva on what it meant to represent the nation.

"I was crying my eyes out when I heard this," said Finucane.

"He said this was the reason we do what we do, because you are Welsh.

"He ignited a fire in me. I was determined to ride for Wales and was going to do it with passion."

It worked as Finucane led a Welsh cycling medal charge in Glasgow with 11 podium positions.

This included six gold, three silver and two bronze, the most successful Commonwealth return for the sport.

Finucane has heard the Welsh anthem four times in successive days, once with two team-mates and three on her own.

She was the most emotional for this final one as she came to terms with what she had achieved.

"I was an absolute mess on the podium," said Finucane.

"I saw my family in front of me, the Welsh flag, and then all my team-mates also draped in the red flag.

"Things like this happen once every four years and I wanted to stand on that top set, sing the anthem and live in the moment."

Finucane was not the only one who was a mess.

In the crowd, her sister was in tears at the anthem alongside her parents, while her boyfriend Matthew Richardson was in contact from Japan.

The cyclist was due to compete for England before getting injured in a cycling crash, something else Finucane has had to deal with.

She says she is backed up by her family support.

"My mum and dad, my sister and partner was here, my brother's back at home and Matty was on FaceTime," said Finucane.


"He's literally in Japan and it's like 2am and he's called me.

"So I have a massive support network network with me and they love me no matter what.

"They'll text me, if you win or lose and that means everything because they don't put stress on me."

Having conquered the Commonwealth, Finucane was asked whether her attention will turn to the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

"I knew these questions would come, but I want to live in the moment," said Finucane.

"It's something I haven't been good at in the past. I've been always been looking at the next challenge.

"I have the World Championships in 10 weeks. I'm actually going away on holiday with on my sister and then I'll reset for them.

"But for now I'll just soak it in and it probably won't do that for a long time."

The short-term was more pressing because Finucane had somewhere to be as she was whisked off to prepare for the closing ceremony.

During the numerous interviews she conducted after the race, Finucane was told in one by Team Wales chef de mission Gethin Jones she would be the flag bearer.

Another overwhelming moment.

"I'm so honoured and I'm going to wave that flag with so much pride because Wales is amazing," said Finucane.

"It's such a beautiful place. We have so much pride, so much passion and so much talent.

"I feel like I'm living in an absolute dream. I can't believe I'm going to be the one standing there on television with the flag. It just doesn't feel real, it probably never will.

"I want to live in that moment, just breathe, realise what I'm doing, and fly the flag as loud and as proudly as I can."