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Great Britain’s Emma Finucane claimed her third medal from three events at the Paris Olympics, clinching bronze in the Individual Sprint, which was won in dominant fashion by New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews.
Finucane, only 21 years of age, had been tipped as the potential sprint queen of these Games but that honour will fall to Andrews, who adds Sprint gold to the Keirin gold she won earlier in the week and also leaves Paris with silver in the Team Sprint behind Finucane’s Great Britain.
Finucane’s Olympic debut has been remarkable, with a pair of bronze medals in the Keirin and Sprint to follow her opening-day gold in the Team Sprint, but Andrews was on another level.
They paired up on the final day in Paris in the semifinals, and Andrews emerged a straight-heats winner. Leading out from the front in the first heat and coming from behind in the second, it was a sound beating.
Andrews progressed to the final, where the world record holder Lea Friedrich awaited, but the German was given the same treatment. Treatment of a more brutal variety, in fact. Andrews eased away to hold Friedrich off in a controlled victory in the first heat of the gold medal final, and then blitzed clear of her in the second heat.
Ellesse Andrews celebrates a second gold
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The margin of victory was enormous for an Olympic final – an utterly emphatic display that left no arguments that the strongest sprinter in Paris had been crowned the champion.
“I’ve exceeded all expectations,” said the 24-year-old, who was a silver medallist in the Keirin in Tokyo but has now taken her position at the top of the sport. “It’s amazing to come and win one medal, let alone three.”
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In the final for the bronze medal, Finucane overcame the Dutchwoman Hetty van de Wouw, herself enjoying a breakthrough week. The pair almost came to a track stand in a tactical opener, where Finucane broke the stare to open up and pull away.
The second heat was a faster affair but Finucane took it on from the front and clinched the bronze in comfortable fashion.
Emma Finucane celebrates with her family
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“Honestly, the whole week has been a rollercoaster of emotion,” Finucane said. “I’m really proud of what I did today. After the Keirin day, the Sprint day is one of the hardest days on the bike, because I was just so exhausted.
“I took my time, got through each race, and obviously I wanted to be out there trying to win gold but when it came to the bronze I just went out and gave it everything for that bronze medal.
“I’m so proud of myself,” she added. “My family have been here through the highs and lows of this week. I’ve cried, I’ve had happy tears, and I can’t thank everyone enough but I’m exhausted.”
Lavreysen the sprint king
Harrie Lavreysen celebrates Keirin gold on the final day of action in Paris
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Soon after Andrews had wrapped up her celebrations, it was time for the men’s Keirin, which saw Harrie Lavreysen confirmed as the sprinting king of these Olympics.
The dominant Dutchman triumphed once more to make it a clean sweep of the gold medals in Paris, following his triumph in the Individual Sprint and Netherlands’ success in the Team Sprint.
Great Britain’s Jack Carlin, bronze medallist in the event at the last Olympics in Tokyo and already a winner of two bronze medals at these Games, finished out of the medals and on the deck as a crash took out three riders on the final lap of the gold medal final.
Malaysia’s Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom was deemed to be at fault and was later relegate by the officials, with Carlin not finishing and therefore sharing fourth place with the other rider who came down, Shinji Nakako (Japan).
It was a disappointing end for Carlin, who earlier in the day had won his quarterfinal in canny fashion and then his semifinal in storming fashion. Hopes of a medal will have been high but in reality he was already out of position and at the back of the field when the crash occurred as the sprint was already in full flow. He couldn’t avoid the contact and came crashing down, but all three riders came away without serious injury.
Carlin, top right, caught up in a dramatic crash in the Keirin final
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Britain’s other Keirin hope, Hamish Turnbull, also had his charge ended by a crash. Having made it through to the quarterfinals via the repechages, he progressed to the semifinal but went high to avoid a crash and ended up flying into the hoardings at the top of the track. He was already fading so likely would not have made it through to the gold medal final, but hurt his back and was deemed unfit to start the final for 7th to 12th place.
The event, however, belonged to Lavreysen, who cemented his name in the history books. He was given something to think about by the Australians, with Matthew Glaetzer going hard from range and Matthew Richardson going shoulder-to-shoulder as the sprint was launched, but he still had plenty of power in the legs and nudged clear on the home straight to make it a perfect Olympics.
Having done the Sprint double in Tokyo but missed out on the Keirin, he has now patched that hole in a palmarés that is brimming with medals – this fifth Olympic gold sits alongside 13 world titles.
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