Emma Finucane emotionally thanked fans, friends and family members for their support after winning bronze in the individual sprint of the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
The 21-year-old, who was featuring at the Olympics for the first time, has become the first woman since Mary Rand back in 1964 to secure a hat-trick of podium finishes at a single games.
She previously won bronze in the keirin and was part of the team sprint side that secured gold.
Finucane has now etched her name into the history books. And the Team GB star paid tribute to fans, friends and family after such a brilliant achievement.
Emma Finucane emotionally thanked fans, friends and family members for their support after winning bronze in the individual sprint of the Paris Olympics on Sunday
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“Honestly, it feels amazing. I know I had the expectations coming into the Olympics but a gold and two bronze is more than I could have expected,” she told the BBC.
“It’s been such a rollercoaster this week, my friends and my family experience the lows, the crying, the happy tears and I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped me get to this place.
“That bronze medal, I literally gave it everything I could.
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“To celebrate with my family who have been here all week, the support I’ve had back home, the National Lottery, I wouldn’t be here without them.
“I wouldn’t be here without British Cycling, Team GB, my friends, everyone that loves me.
“I am just really proud to deliver it on the final day and to just come home with another bronze medal is incredible. I can’t believe it.”
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Finucane also admitted that she was stunned after learning all the records she’s broken.
She says she hasn’t properly celebrated yet but that’s all set to change, while the 21-year-old also vowed to ‘live my best life’.
“I didn’t even know half the stats. I was like ‘oh wow’. I guess you just put it behind you because you are just focussing on the next race and then the next race,” she continued.
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Emma Finucane says she’s going to ‘live my best life’ after winning her third medal of the Paris Olympics
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“When I finally finished, I was like ‘I’m done’. I haven’t properly celebrated the team sprint or the keirin.
“Now I get to celebrate all three.
“I am going to live my best life now after the games and it’s been such a journey.
Emma Finucane is set to become one of the poster girls for British cycling after winning three medals at the Paris Olympics this summer
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“I’m just proud of who I am and how I have conducted myself on the track.
“Thank you to everyone back home, I can’t believe it.”
Team GB will end the games in Paris with 65 medals to their name, which is 15 more than the target of 50 they’d set before the summer’s action commenced. That total is also one more than the 64 secured at the last Olympics in Tokyo three years ago.