Carmarthen barracks where Emma Finucane grew up turn gates gold for Olympic champion

  • ITV Cymru Wales' sports reporter Matt Southcombe reports from Picton Barracks

Emma Finucane has been honoured in her hometown of Carmarthen after becoming an Olympic gold medal champion.

At just 21 years of age and at her first Olympic Games, she anchored Team GB's women's sprint team as they stormed to victory in world record time.

Now, she has been honoured in the town where it all began.

The team at Picton Barracks in Carmarthen have painted their gates gold to celebrate her win.

Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell and Emma Finucane in the velodrome Credit: PA

She has a special connection to the place, having been brought up in the caretaker's house on the site.

Captain James John had joked that he would paint the barracks' gates gold if she brought home a gold medal, and he's a man of his word.

"We hosted a breakfast for veterans and former civil service", Capt John explained.

"Rory and Suzie (Emma's parents) were there and that was the day the British squad was announced for the Olympics and we found out that Emma was going to be a part of it.

"So I said 'if Emma wins gold we'll paint the barracks gates gold - she did and here we are."

Starting out on her bike at Carmarthen Velodrome when she was just eight years old, Emma soon started to hone her skills after joining local cycling club, the Towy Riders.

At 16, she became a junior European champion. Then, aged 18, she became a national champion in the senior National Track Championships.

In 2022, she won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games before winning sprint gold at the World Championships in 2023, the third Briton after Victoria Pendleton and Becky James to achieve such a feat.

Earlier this year, Finucane won the European women’s sprint title as well as silvers in the team sprint and keirin.

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