Wales' sparkling Olympic moments from Paris 2024

More athletes than ever before; much medals than ever before.

And, successful 21-year-old Olympic way cycling champion Emma Finucane, a caller world star.

The Paris 2024 Olympics person been a memorable Games for nan Welsh athletes wrong Team GB.

Having been pursuing their fortunes successful Paris complete nan past 17 days, present are conscionable immoderate of nan moments that guidelines out…

What is location near to opportunity astir Emma Finucane?

I wrote successful nan build-up that it was uncommon for location to beryllium truthful overmuch anticipation for a 21-year-old’s Olympic debut. But nan excitement was justified.

Yes, that anticipation brought unit too. Former cycling greats were tipping her to triumph an unprecedented 3 golds successful a azygous Games.

The reality was ever going to beryllium overmuch tougher. But she came mighty close.

Gold and a world grounds successful nan squad sprint, 0.092 seconds disconnected golden successful nan keirin, 0.050 seconds disconnected a chance of golden successful nan sprint.

These are enormously good margins. Make nary correction - a golden and 2 bronze medals successful your first Olympics is simply a scarcely believable return.

And fixed she is still only 21, you tin only ideate really overmuch she tin amended successful nan years to come.

But 2 things onslaught maine nan astir having covered her emergence successful nan athletics for nan past 4 years.

Firstly, she has an incredibly supportive family down her.

Mum, dad, brothers and sisters - they turned up to nan Paris National Velodrome successful matching t-shirts pinch Emma’s look connected them. They were successful nan stands for each convention of each race. No 1 shouted louder.

They celebrated each consequence pinch nan aforesaid pridefulness and joy, sloppy of nan outcome. It was nary astonishment to perceive Finucane convey them successful each post-race interview.

The 2nd point you return distant from speaking to Emma is really wished she is to bask nan ride. Yes, arsenic an elite jock she is judged connected results and medals. But from erstwhile she sewage nan Team GB kit, to erstwhile she first group ft successful nan Olympic velodrome, to opinionated connected nan podium, she ever savours nan infinitesimal and does it pinch a smile.

After his relay golden successful Tokyo arsenic an 18-year-old, this was nan Games wherever Matt Richards came of property - but besides felt he had truthful overmuch much to give.

Another golden - erstwhile again successful nan men’s 4x200m freestyle relay - followed a superb metallic successful nan individual 200m freestyle.

Out successful lane one, Richards had 1 of nan swims of his life to travel wrong 0.02 seconds of winning gold. It was some a metallic badge to beryllium proud of but besides a golden he feels sewage away.

This is simply a young man who loves to learn. After failing to scope nan men’s 100m freestyle final, and managing 4th and 5th successful his different relay events, he is already moving retired each item he tin amended connected for Los Angeles 2028 - erstwhile astatine 25 he should beryllium astatine his peak.

Like Finucane, he was supported each nan measurement by his family. His mum, dada and soon-to-be-wife Emily were still proud.

Because do not fto his ain precocious standards return distant from nan truth that sitting connected 2 Olympic golds and a metallic by nan property of 21 is thing different than earnestly impressive.

Like Finucane, Richards now holds those 3 Olympic medals and, if they enactment fresh and healthy, it's difficult to spot really they do not adhd plentifulness much successful nan Games to come.

Elinor Barker summed up her Olympic travel perfectly herself.

Winning golden astatine 21 successful Rio successful 2016, she felt for illustration a baby. Winning metallic successful Tokyo, she was unknowingly increasing a baby. After winning metallic and bronze successful Paris, she past celebrated pinch her baby.

It was an admirable accomplishment to make it to these Games, fto unsocial to get successful specified bully form. There were times pinch a young boy that she had wondered if she would make it done nan night, fto unsocial to Paris.

Family support has been a recurring taxable astatine these Games - pinch Barker praising her partner, Casper, parents and sister, Meg, for their support arsenic they looked aft her boy Nico successful nan stands.

Barker now has 4 Olympic medals to her sanction - nan astir a female from Wales has won.

With 7 world titles arsenic well, for me, she is 1 of nan astir underrated athletes of her generation.

It was besides astonishing to spot Llanishen High School successful Cardiff boast half nan British women's squad pursuit quartet, pinch erstwhile pupils Barker and Anna Morris helping GB to bronze. Jess Roberts made it 3 retired of 4 from Wales - an awesome return by Welsh Cycling.

Ten years agone location was a group of rowers who sewage their first sensation of awesome title acquisition rowing for Wales.

Graeme Thomas, Tom Barras, Matt Aldridge and Harry Brightmore each started their travel successful nan reddish of Wales earlier reaching Olympic finals successful nan red, achromatic and bluish of Team GB successful Paris.

For Thomas and Barras, it was an agonising 4th successful nan men’s quad. For Aldridge, a bronze he was immensely proud of successful nan men’s four.

And for Harry Brightmore, it was a move to coxing that brought him nan sport’s top prize. He helped nan men’s 8 to gold, earlier opinionated gangly connected nan vessel and screaming successful celebration.

Ollie Wynne-Griffith almost joined him successful grabbing golden - but he and Tom George were pipped to nan statement successful nan men's pair.

Becky Wilde had swum for Wales arsenic a inferior - and narrowly missed retired connected going to nan Commonwealth Games successful 2018. Then she switched to rowing and, astatine nan past imaginable opportunity, qualified for her first Olympics successful nan women’s double sculls alongside Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne.

They rowed nan title of their lives successful nan final, winning a superb bronze.

A consequence matched by Eve Stewart successful nan women’s eight. She was calved successful Amsterdam aft her parents moved location for work. But she would watch nan Olympics pinch her Welsh grandmother, Pat, and ever dreamed of representing Team GB.

But it does not ever spell to scheme astatine an Olympics. Ask Josh Tarling, Jade Jones and Rosie Eccles.

Day 1 of nan Games feels a agelong clip agone now but it is difficult not to still consciousness sorry for 20-year-old Tarling.

He erstwhile again proved himself to beryllium amongst nan world’s champion successful nan men’s clip proceedings but a puncture costs him valuable seconds - and yet a spot connected nan podium.

Tarling had said himself successful nan build-up that you do not get galore chances astatine an Olympics, it only coming astir each 4 years.

But it seems definite he will spell connected to a sparkling profession successful nan athletics - and should beryllium 1 to watch again aged 24 successful Los Angeles.

No 1 personifies nan agony and ecstasy of Olympic athletics for illustration Jade Jones. Two golds successful her first 2 Games, 2 first information exits successful her adjacent two.

She gave it her each to effort to triumph that historical 3rd gold, having fallen short successful Tokyo. She moved her full life to Croatia to alteration up her training programme.

But, successful nan build-up, she was provisionally suspended aft failing to supply a urine sample. UKAD yet cleared her to compete aft ruling she bore nary fault. Jones did later trial antagonistic that aforesaid day.

It cannot person helped her mentation and you could spot nan emotion of it each successful her interviews aft her defeat.

In her opening bout successful nan boxing, Rosie Eccles was connected nan beforehand ft against Poland's Aneta Rygielska.

But aft edging nan first connected nan judges scorecards, nan Welshwoman was deemed to beryllium 2nd champion to Rygielska successful nan adjacent 2 and went retired connected a divided decision.

Sometimes Olympic dreams tin extremity that quickly.

Jeremiah Azu’s comeback from disastrous disqualification to relay redemption was 1 of nan stories of nan Games for Wales.

The nation’s fastest man lined up successful nan blocks for nan men’s 100m heats, astir to realise a puerility dream of racing astatine nan Olympics.

But aft a mendacious start, it was each complete earlier it began.

He based on his lawsuit but location were nary 2nd chances. At least, not successful nan individual event.

The 23-year-old was devastated. So were his family. His relative was successful tears, but told maine he was still truthful proud of Jeremiah for putting nan family sanction connected nan world stage.

Azu took immoderate clip distant from nan athletes’ colony to beryllium pinch his family and he says that helped him reset for nan relay.

Once again he lined up connected nan blocks. A cleanable commencement successful some nan power and last group Great Britain up for bronze. And Azu had Wales’ first way and section badge successful almost 3 decades.

Having been unsocial successful Tokyo, connected quiet roads and successful quiet stadia, during nan Covid pandemic - this felt for illustration what a Games should really beryllium like.

From that unsocial opening ceremony, which I was fortunate capable to acquisition connected nan Team GB boat, nan metropolis and venues person been bathed successful sunshine and afloat of fans.

Unlike galore different Games - including London 2012 - which create an Olympic Park, successful Paris truthful galore of its awesome landmarks person go portion of nan Games.

The Eiffel Tower arsenic a backdrop to nan opening ceremony, formation volleyball and champions’ parade.

The River Seine (just about) getting to beryllium utilized for nan unfastened h2o swimming, featuring Wales’ Hector Pardoe, and triathlon.

The taekwondo takeover of nan Grand Palais. The purple way astatine nan Stade de France.

The Welsh teenagers present brought truthful overmuch power and gave Wales practice successful sports we don't often spot astatine nan Games - Anna Hursey successful nan array tennis, Ella Maclean-Howell successful nan upland motorcycle and Ruby Evans successful creator gymnastics.

Having friends and family person been nan quality - some to galore of nan athletes and besides to nan wide consciousness of nan Games.

It has erstwhile again been a privilege to beryllium a mini portion of it.