The Great Britain Cycling Team’s women’s team sprint made history at the 2024 UCI Tissot Track World Championships, becoming the first British women’s team sprint squad to win the world and Olympic title in the same year.
The Olympic champions Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant delivered three impressive rides, backing up their successful summer to become the first British women’s team sprint world champions since 2008. The trio started confidently and didn’t back down throughout the three rounds, initially qualifying fastest in 46.217 seconds, 0.713 ahead of the Dutch trio.
Up against eighth place qualifiers Ukraine, the Brits sailed through to the gold medal ride where they would meet Kimberley Kalee, Hetty van de Wouw and Steffie van der Peet of the Netherlands. Bursting powerfully out of the start gate, Marchant set her teammates up for a strong race.
Capewell rushed the gap with finesse leaving Finucane to storm across the finish line in 45.949, taking the rainbow jersey. On their win so close to the Olympics, Marchant said: “It was a tough day on the bike and perhaps a little bit harder than winning an Olympic gold medal for different reasons but I’m really glad that we really showed up.
“We’re absolutely over the moon,” she went on to say. “It’s the kind of thing that as kids growing up in sport, they're the two big things to aim for... the reality is very much a dream come true.
“It feels like the icing on the cake and the cake was pretty damn good in the summer so that’s topped it off quite nicely!” On their progression in recent years, Finucane said: "It just goes to show everyone back at home that it’s not just us three on the start line but it’s such a work in progress.
“We’ve had many coaches and many nutritionists, psychologist, doctors – the team behind the team and for women’s sprinting yes, we’ve sometimes been known as the weakest on the squad but I think we’ve really put it out there this year. As you see from our progression we’ve stepped up and it shows all the hard work we’ve put in back home, from winning the Olympics to coming back home and now to win a gold medal it’s just a testimony to women’s sprint in general and it’s really exciting!”
Sophie Lewis represented Great Britain in the women’s scratch race, and after being active in the race throughout, she finished seventh overall. In a strong field, the race kicked off at pace with a group of five getting off the front 10 laps in.
Quickly pulled back into the bunch, the race stayed steady with riders not letting anyone get away. In a cagey race, Lewis delivered a calm and controlled performance, staying consistently well positioned and conserving energy.
With three laps to go and the bunch together, Lewis made a bold move going over the top of the bunch to take the lead and set herself into position for the sprint. Dropping down into position, Lewis became boxed in by Olivija Baleisyte (Lithuania) and, unable to move for the sprint which would be won by Netherlands Lorena Wiebes, the Briton finished a commendable seventh overall.
Coming in as the defending world champions, the women’s team pursuit squad of Katie Archibald, Josie Knight, Anna Morris and Meg Barker delivered a strong ride in the first qualifying event of the day. With two nations to go, Germany had put down the time to beat of 4:16.823, 7.984s ahead of China’s previous leading pace.
Italy moved straight into second place with a time of 4:14.788, but it wasn’t enough to top the leaderboard as Great Britain delivered a time of 4:11.868 over the 3km event, qualifying fastest into tomorrow’s first round.
