"It's a good question," Emma Finucane says as she thinks searchingly of the most important lesson she has learned about herself after a year like no other for the 21-year-old sprint cyclist. She won three Olympic medals, including one gold, and two world champion titles while carrying a secret she could not even share with her family for many months.
Finucane's fierce honesty and questioning introspection is rare in such a young rider who is in the foothills of a career that may yet transcend the achievements of British Olympic track riders led by Jason and Laura Kenny and Chris Hoy. Her candour and intelligence soon emerge as she charts the physical and psychological depths explored at the Paris Olympics before she talks openly about the way she and her boyfriend, Matthew Richardson, who won three sprint medals for Australia at the Games, knew he would soon switch countries and move to GB Cycling. That decision shocked and dismayed his former teammates and supporters.
Finucane begins with the lessons of Paris: "I learned that I can push my body way past limits I didn't think I had because of how headstrong I am. That's something I want to take forward."
That one word - "headstrong" - jumps out. It usually works as a definition of youthful and stubborn determination. But Finucane explains how she became mentally strong while facing acute vulnerabilities that emerged when she first became a world champion in the individual sprint in Glasgow last year. Those emotions then turned into a storm in Paris.
This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump's first speech will focus on unity and light rather than carnage, aides say
Donald Trump is to begin his return to office with a speech that will strike a noticeably more upbeat tone than his address eight years ago, his aides said yesterday as Washington geared up for Monday's inauguration.
US-UK relations How the royal family will be used to woo Trump
David Lammy was visiting Washington last May when he realised Donald Trump was likely to win the presidential election.
Bob Dylan Singer joins TikTok as US ban looms
Bob Dylan is TikToking on heaven's door after signing up to the social media app - days before it could disappear from his native US.
It's the new normal' Brussels draws up its red lines as far right prepares to take power in Austria
When the Freedom party of Austria (FPÖ) entered government 25 years ago, shock waves reverberated around Europe.
Diagnosing obesity So how can we tell if our weight is a problem?
This week, doctors confirmed what many people have felt for a long time: the way we think about obesity is not helpful. BMI is unreliable, and this has to change.
'A lot can still go wrong' Wary reaction in Israel as some want the war to go on
News of a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas has been greeted with joy by Palestinians but with more caution in Israel, where demonstrators both in favour and against the agreement have taken to the streets.
Sands of time UK's oldest municipal hut faces its final summer
Admittedly, it does look a little shabby. A wooden slat next to the front door and a window pane are missing and a lick of paint would definitely not go amiss. But in Bournemouth there is disquiet at the prospect of the structure - beach hut number 2359 - being razed when structural work on the nearby pier begins.
You don't own people' Greenlanders savour spotlight on their cause
In one corner, friends discuss the aftermath of last week's visit by Donald Trump Jr, while in another, coffee is being roasted, as the northern lights dance across the dark early evening sky.
Tuscany, on a budget? Italian region among cheapest holiday destinations
January is one of the best months to book a summer holiday, and this year there is a surprise budget option: Tuscany.
He's one of the best' The economist aiming to fix Britain's growth problem
The economist John Van Reenen lacks the public status of Gordon Brown's \"two Eds\" - Balls and Miliband - who ranged across Whitehall in New Labour's first term, enforcing the Treasury's will.