CYCLING

Wales’ world champion Emma Finucane will look to stay on course to add the European individual sprint title to her collection after reaching the semi-finals at the European Track Cycling Championships in the Netherlands.

Finucane controlled her quarter-final against the French rider Marie Divine Taky Kouame to progress 2-0 and will next face Mathilde Gros for a chance to ride for gold.

Britain’s Sophie Capewell was edged out 2-1 by Germany’s Emma Hinze, while Sophie Lewis finished 13th in the women’s scratch race.

Welsh stars Megan Barker and Jess Roberts both had to settle for silver medals in the women’s team pursuit.

While Great Britain claimed gold in the men’s team pursuit, the GB women – including the Welsh duo – were beaten to gold.

The British squad of Josie Knight, Barker, Anna Morris, Robertsand Neah Evans took a silver medal as the world champions were beaten by Italy.

Barker, who claimed a first European medal, said: “When you lose the gold ride off, it takes a second to realise you have still won silver, so we will look back and be really happy with it.”

The GB men’s squad of Dan Bigham, Ethan Hayter, Ethan Vernon, Ollie Wood and Charlie Tanfield edged out world champions, Denmark, with a time of three minutes 45.218 seconds to win by a margin of 1.154secs.

 

NETBALL

Wales take on Uganda on Friday and Saturday looking to claim a famous series win.

Coach Emily Handyside believes her team’s first ever home victory over Uganda in the opening match of the series,indicates the progress being made by Welsh Feathers.

In a stirring performance at Cardiff’s House of Sport on Wednesday, Wales completed only their third victory over the higher world-ranked Ugandans and their first on their own patch.

The 57-45 triumph also avenged the 73-56 defeat to the She Cranes at last year’s World Cup in South Africa.

Wales now have the possibility of a rare series win or even a clean sweep in the three-match series with a Friday night and Saturday clash to follow.

Handyside was pleased with her team’s display as they took a 27-23 half-time lead and then kept the Ugandans at distanceevery time they threatened to narrow down the margin.

“I felt we were lacking a bit of energy in the first-half, but we really got there in the second,” she said.

“We are pleased with the outcome and there are goals we set ourselves which we achieved. But there are also some goals we set that we know we can get a lot closer to.”

It meant a first victory over Uganda for nine years, since the 2015 Netball World Cup in Australia.

Wales – who are currently ranked ninth in the world – lost two home games to seventh-placed Uganda as recently as October 2022.

Skipper Nia Jones said: “We didn’t really know where we stood with a new cycle after the World Cup, a new coaching team and a host of new players, so we have to be pleased beating a team we lost to by 18 points only a few months ago.

“I am so chuffed and proud that we managed to get over the line against them.

“This win should change our perspective on the whole series. We have a processed focus, with certain measurable goals, but we have now proven to ourselves that this result is well within our sights.

“We are absolutely now eyeing up a series win here.”