Emma Finucane: From crying in the toilet to world cycling title

“I’ve had so many pinch moments that I never thought I’d be in such a pinch so early in my career.”

Emma Finucane thought it would be “many years” before she could call herself world cycling champion.

However, the 21-year-old won the gold medal in the sprint race at the 2023 World Championships, and her performance made her known as the fastest woman in the world.

She told BBC Newsbeat that this was the “high point of my career so far”, but she now has her eyes firmly set on the Paris Olympics.

Her journey to this point has not been without its challenges.

Welshman Emma revealed that she cried in the toilet before last year’s final.

“It’s really difficult sometimes when you’re so close to a gold medal,” she says.

“Even though I wanted it so much…I was so nervous before the final. Everything was building up and the pressure was at its peak.”

But crying helped her “calm down,” she said. “Then I came back and just raced and literally left everything on the track.”

Achieving more victories by age 21 always comes at a cost, but Emma prefers a different perspective.

“I don’t like to call them sacrifices. I like to call them choices,” she says.

She moved to Manchester at the age of 18 to pursue her career, but said being so far away from her family in Carmarthen was not only difficult, but she also missed out on some of the things her friends were doing. I’ll tell you.

“When I turned 18 or 20, all my friends went off to college and I really enjoyed it,” Emma says.

“But I also knew from an early age that I was very dedicated and I really wanted this.

“So I think there’s a lot that I’ve missed out on, but in the long run I haven’t missed out because I’ve become a world champion.

“It’s worth it, but it’s hard.”

Emma’s cycling journey began at the age of eight with a “pink bike with tassels”.

Before she knew it, she was fast enough that her father started taking her to the local velodrome in Newport.

“Obviously, Pink wasn’t doing it,” she says.

After some upgrades, she will be using a “really fast bike” designed by F1 experts for the National Track Championship.

“It’s all about aerodynamics and how streamlined it is on the track.”

This includes everything from making the bike as light as possible to small details like not putting dust caps on the tires.

And it’s not just bikes. Emma wears a tight-fitting race suit, an aerodynamic helmet, and overshoes, but there’s one thing she can’t sacrifice.

“I love earrings and I race in them,” she laughs.

Emma is a favorite for Team GB to win this summer in Paris, but her place in the team will not be confirmed until later this year.

”[The Olympics] is big and I will give everything for it,” she says.

“And that’s what I want to do to win these medals and get these achievements.”

The British Track Cycling Championships will be held at Manchester’s National Cycling Center until Sunday 25th February.