In a sensational victory, the Great Britain Cycling Team’s women’s sprint squad has etched their names into the history books, becoming the first British women’s team to win both the Olympic and world titles in the same year.
This triumph, which took place at the 2024 UCI Tissot Track World Championships, is a crowning achievement for the trio of Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane, and Katy Marchant, who delivered a flawless performance.
These Olympic champions have built on their stunning summer success with another dazzling display, securing Britain’s first world championship title in the women’s team sprint since 2008. The journey to gold was nothing short of exhilarating, with three commanding rides that proved the Brits were a force to be reckoned with.
From the start, Capewell, Finucane, and Marchant were in blistering form. Qualifying fastest with a time of 46.217 seconds, they outpaced their nearest rivals, the Dutch, by 0.713 seconds. The British team then cruised past Ukraine in the semi-final to set up a high-stakes final against the formidable Dutch trio of Kimberley Kalee, Hetty van de Wouw, and Steffie van der Peet.
In the final, it was Marchant who powered out of the start gate, setting up a flying pace. Capewell kept the momentum with a deft handoff, and it was Finucane who stormed across the finish line in a blistering 45.949 seconds, clinching the gold and securing the coveted rainbow jersey.
Speaking after the victory, Katy Marchant reflected on the historic achievement: “Today was a tough day on the bike, maybe even harder than winning an Olympic gold for different reasons, but we showed up, and we’re absolutely over the moon.”
Capewell echoed the sentiment, saying: “It’s the kind of thing you dream of as a kid – winning both the Olympic and world titles. It’s like the icing on the cake, and that cake was pretty damn good this summer, so this tops it off perfectly.”
Emma Finucane paid tribute to the whole team behind their success, saying: “It’s not just us three on the start line; there’s a whole team behind us. For years, women’s sprinting in Britain has sometimes been seen as the weakest link, but this year we’ve really shown what we can do.”
This remarkable victory caps off a monumental year for Britain’s women cyclists, who have defied expectations and proven themselves at the very pinnacle of their sport. As the team looks ahead to further success, one thing is clear: Britain’s women’s sprint squad is well and truly back on top.
