Finucane named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year 2024

Track cyclist Emma Finucane is the BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year for 2024, winning the award for the second year in succession.

In a year of incredible success, the 21-year-old from from Carmarthen became the first woman in 60 years to win three medals for Team GB at a single Olympic Games.

Finucane, appearing at her maiden Olympics, was part of the group who claimed gold at Paris 2024 in the team sprint alongside Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell in a new world record time, before adding keirin and individual sprint bronzes at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines velodrome.

Not since Mary Rand at Tokyo 1964 has a British woman enjoyed such medal success at a single Olympic Games and Finucane said afterwards that, “to come away with three medals is more than I could have dreamed of”.

A year of sporting excellence is also reflected in the Team of the Year award won by the Wales women’s football side.

Rhian Wilkinson’s players qualified for a major championship for the first time in the history of the women’s team by winning a nail-biting Euro 2025 play-off final against the Republic of Ireland, a 3-2 aggregate victory booking their place at next summer’s finals in Switzerland.

“When I heard the news I couldn’t believe it,” Finucane told BBC Sport Wales. “Obviously after winning my first one last year that was such a massive achievement for me, to be amongst so many names.

“I remember looking at the trophy last year, I was in awe of the names I was next to.

“Then to win it the next time… I think that’s crazy and I’m so honoured to be recognised by the whole of Wales. It’s such an honour to be a Welsh athlete and a Welsh rider – I’m just privileged to win this award, thank you.

“The Olympics was the best week of my life; honestly it was challenging, I challenged myself mentally and physically – it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do – but to come away with a gold and two bronzes, I couldn’t have done anything more.”

Finucane put down early markers at the start to the Olympic year, taking a hat-trick of medals at the UEC Elite Track European Championships held in the Netherlands in January.

She made history in Apeldoorn, becoming the first British woman to win the individual sprint European title, and followed that up with silver in the keirin and team sprint events.

The following month, Finucane won gold in the team sprint alongside Marchant, Capewell and Lauren Bell at the first UCI Tissot Track Nations Cup of the season in Adelaide, Australia.

In March, another World Cup gold arrived in the team sprint in Hong Kong, with Finucane also topping the podium in the keirin and individual sprint.

After the heady Olympic success in Paris in August, Finucane’s next major test came at October’s UCI Tissot Track World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark.

Finucane successfully defended her women’s individual sprint title, becoming the first British woman to claim back-to-back titles since Victoria Pendleton in 2010.

She then completed the Olympic-World Championship double, alongside Capewell and Marchant, in the women’s team sprint – going one better than last year’s silver in Glasgow.

Finucane now joins one of her heroes, fellow cyclist Geraint Thomas, as a twice-winner on the list of BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personalities of the Year.

“When [I was told] I’d won again I couldn’t believe it,” Finucane added.

“So many sports in Wales and so many amazing sports people in Wales who deserve this award too, and the fact I’ve won it again is insane – and I guess it is like winning an Olympic medal.

“I’m really passionate about my home country and competing for Wales, and I’m so excited for the Commonwealth Games in 2026 because I get to put back on that Welsh jersey which I haven’t for a long time.”

She was selected for the BBC Cymru Wales award by an expert panel chaired by Paralympic great and Sport Wales chair Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who was joined by former Wales footballer and netball player Nia Jones, Sport Wales’ Owen Lewis, Cardiff Metropolitan University’s dean of Sport and Health Sciences Professor Katie Thirlaway, and Welsh Rugby Union executive director of rugby Nigel Walker.

“It was an absolute privilege to chair this year’s panel as 2024 has been a fantastic year for Welsh sport,” Grey-Thompson said.

“It was incredibly tough for our panel to choose amongst the many Welsh athletes who have showcased an exceptional level of talent and dedication throughout the past year.

“Emma delivered an outstanding performance in Paris, becoming the first British woman since 1964 to win three medals in a single Games.

“However, it is important to acknowledge her consistency across all competitions this year, not just in Paris. Her remarkable performances in both the European and World Championships have undoubtedly highlighted what an extraordinary young athlete she is.”

Athletes who were highly commended during the panel’s deliberations included footballer Jess Fishlock, Para-shot putter Sabrina Fortune, boxer Lauren Price, Para-canoeist Laura Sugar, cyclist Elinor Barker, swimmer Matt Richards, Para-cyclist James Ball, Para-taekwondo athlete Matt Bush, Para-rower Ben Pritchard and Para-archer Jodie Grinham.

Finucane started riding when she was eight years old, along with her younger sister Rosie at Towy Riders.

After being spotted by the Great Britain Cycling Team, she joined the academy programme in 2018 and became a junior European champion a year later.

In 2023, Finucane took all four women’s sprint titles at the National Track Championships, followed by her first individual Track Nations Cup win in the sprint.

After winning two silver medals at the European Championships, she claimed her first world title at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships – becoming only the third British female sprint world champion, and the youngest at just 20 years old.