Emma Finucane Vows to Return Stronger After World Championship Near Misses

Emma Finucane is determined to "come back fighting" for gold medals after narrowly missing the top of the podium in her final event at the Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai. The 23-year-old secured bronze in the keirin on Sunday, an event where she was pipped at the finish line by a margin of just 14 thousandths of a second.

This latest medal adds to the silver medals Finucane previously won in the team sprint and individual sprint at the same championships. Both of her silver medals were achieved behind Chinese cyclists.

Finucane, a member of Great Britain's Olympic gold medal-winning team sprint trio at the Paris Games in 2024, identified retaining that title at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 as a primary objective.

"To medal in all three races at the world champs, I'd never done that before," Finucane told BBC Sport. "The confidence I have gained this week and the way I've been riding my bike, I can take that into the years to come."

She expressed pride in her performance, stating, "I am actually really proud. I am frustrated not to be on the top step but I'll come back fighting. You can beat yourself up about races but I am learning all the time."

"Ultimately we are learning for the Olympics, that's a huge goal. I put myself in winning positions in every race and that's something I am proud of," she added.

Finucane's Paris Olympic bronze medals in the individual sprint and keirin were part of Great Britain's success, where she partnered with Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell for the team sprint gold. In Shanghai, Rhianna Parris-Smith stepped in for the recently retired Marchant in the team sprint, where the British trio finished behind a Chinese team.

Finucane highlighted the internal competition within the British team as a key driver for future success. "We won the team sprint in Paris which is one of the best moments of my life and there are 10 girls back at home fighting to be in the team. That's how we progress, and we will build on the momentum of this silver medal."

She believes this strong internal competition is crucial for winning races. "Internal competition is how we win bike races. World records keep falling, we are pushing each other and it's really exciting," Finucane said.

Great Britain concluded the championships at the top of the overall medal table, securing 12 medals. This included a hat-trick of gold medals for cyclist Anna Morris.