Hoy and Kenny back Finucane for Olympic glory

Two of Great Britain’s greatest Olympic cyclists have backed Emma Finucane to win up to three gold medals at the Paris Games.

Sir Chris Hoy and Laura Kenny won 13 Olympic medals between them – 11 golds and two silvers – during glittering careers.

Both are keen not to put pressure on Finucane, but share a belief that the 21-year-old world and European sprint champion from Carmarthen could shine at this summer’s Olympics.

“The one star you’ve got to keep an eye out for is Emma Finucane,” Hoy, who won seven golds and a silver, told the BBC.

“She burst on to the scene at the World Championships last year, she won the women’s sprint.

“Team GB are favourites for the team sprint in Paris and she could even win the women’s keirin. She could be a triple Olympic champion and it’s her first Olympics.

“I don’t want to pile too much pressure on her, but she’s got a chance.”

Kenny, who won six golds and a silver, says Finucane “is just unreal at the minute”.

“I keep saying it and then I keep I keep thinking ‘don’t say it because you just put pressure on her’, but honestly she could be the first female to win three gold medals at a single Olympics, and she’s only 21,” Kenny added.

“So you need to watch her in the team sprint, keirin and sprint.”

Finucane must wait until Monday, 5 August to begin her bid for Olympic glory. The team sprint takes place that day with the finals scheduled from 18:46 BST.

She will also aim to be involved in the keirin final on Thursday, 8 August and on the final day – Sunday, 11 August – in the individual sprint final.

Another Welsh cyclist, Josh Tarling, will go for gold in the men’s time trial at 15:34 BST on Saturday, 27 July.