Emma Finucane will use her narrow miss at the Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai as motivation for future success, after settling for bronze in the keirin on Sunday. The 23-year-old finished just 14 thousandths of a second behind gold medallist Alina Lysenko, a neutral athlete, and silver medallist Lea Friedrich of Germany. According to BBC Sport, this was Finucane's third medal of the championships, adding to silver finishes in both the team sprint and individual sprint events.
The bronze medal capped a mixed week for the British sprinter, who had led into the home straight in the keirin final but was overtaken in the closing metres. Finucane's individual sprint silver came after she lost the final to Yuan Liying of China, marking a significant setback for the rider who had previously won the women's individual sprint world title twice before the Shanghai competition.
Despite the disappointment, Finucane expressed determination to build on her performances. She told BBC Sport:
To medal in all three races at the world champs, I'd never done that before. 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. I'm 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.
Finucane's focus now turns to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where she will aim to defend the team sprint gold medal won in Paris in 2024. She was part of the triumphant trio alongside Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell at those Games, where she also claimed bronze medals in both the individual sprint and keirin. In Shanghai, Rhianna Parris-Smith replaced the newly-retired Marchant in the team, which finished with silver after being defeated by the Chinese pairing of Jiang Yulu, Tong Mengqi and Yuan Liying.
What drives British success?
Finucane emphasised the strength of the British cycling programme and the internal competition that pushes riders to excel.
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. Internal competition is how we win bike races. World records keep falling, we are pushing each other and it's really exciting.
This competitive environment has already yielded results beyond Finucane's performances. Great Britain topped the overall medal table at the Shanghai championships with 12 medals, including a hat-trick of gold medals for Anna Morris. The success reflects the depth of talent in the British track cycling squad, with Mark Stewart also winning the men's points race on 16 October, adding to the nation's medal haul.
What are Finucane's Olympic ambitions?
Finucane's primary objective remains securing gold at the Los Angeles Olympics. She said:
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.Her track record suggests she has the capability to deliver, having already demonstrated her ability to perform under pressure at major championships. Before Shanghai, Finucane had been topping the overall standings in the individual sprint events at the 2026 UCI Track World Cup, indicating strong form heading into the world championships.
What comes next for world championships?
The track cycling calendar will continue to provide opportunities for Finucane and her teammates to compete at the highest level. The 2027 UCI Track World Championships elite events are scheduled for 26–30 August at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, near Paris, offering another opportunity for Finucane to pursue world titles before the Olympic Games in 2028.
