Wales could not have asked for a better start to the track cycling programme, claiming medals across the board on the first evening of racing at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.

The night had a bit of everything: a golden performance from the sprint squad, silver for a para-cycling duo, and a bronze for a team pursuit rider making a comeback.

Emma Finucane, Lowri Thomas and Rhian Edmunds took the top step in the women’s team sprint, beating England’s Katy Marchant, Sophia Capewell and Rhianna Parris-Smith in a final that lived up to the billing.

The Welsh trio had already served notice in qualifying, clocking the fastest time of the morning and setting a new Commonwealth Games record. In the final, Thomas took the opening lead-out, Finucane powered through the middle leg, and Edmunds held her nerve to bring it home.

“Today’s been insane,” said Finucane.

“To qualify first was pretty nerve-wracking. We went out there and showed what we could do, but to back it up in that final, knowing we were against the strong English side was great.

“We rode our hearts out. Riding in the Welsh colours gives you that extra boost and there were so many flags in the crowd.

“When we crossed that line first, it was unbelievable.”

Finucane, the reigning Olympic champion, still has three more events on her schedule this week and looks in ominous form.

The moment on the podium clearly meant plenty to all three riders, with team-mates and staff joining in on the anthem from the stands.

“We stood on that top step with your team-mates singing the anthem, it’s something we’ve all dreamed of,” Finucane added.

“It is the first time I sang the anthem on that top step and the two girls were by my side belting it out.

“We also saw all my team-mates in front of us singing it with us.

“Rhian says it takes a village to do what we do. We have so many people behind the scenes you don’t see on the track.

“We certainly felt that today, standing on that top step.”

James Ball, competing in the tandem sprint events as an athlete with a visual impairment, delivered Wales’ first cycling medal of the Games alongside guide Matt Rotherham, taking silver in the men’s B tandem 1,000m time trial.

It’s a result that echoes his achievement four years ago in Birmingham, where he was Team Wales’ first medallist and first gold medallist of those Games.

Gold went to Ball’s long-time rival Neil Fachie of Scotland, who had effectively come out of retirement for the event and now boasts six Commonwealth gold medals and a silver.

It’s the third straight Games in which Ball has finished runner-up to Fachie in this event, though the pair have swapped colours before – Fachie won gold in Birmingham while Ball took the tandem sprint title that time round.

Ball, who also won Paralympic gold in the tandem B kilo with pilot Steffan Lloyd in 2024, was left drained by the effort.

“It is special to equal to what we did in Birmingham four years ago,” Ball said.

“We have to be proud of what we’ve done. We gave it everything on the track and I was on the floor for 20 minutes afterwards.”

Rotherham – who has piloted for both Ball and Fachie over the years – has been putting in the work off the bike too, with an eye on Saturday’s sprint final, where the pair will defend their title.

“I spent three days learning the Welsh national anthem and I’m gutted I didn’t get to sing it today,” said Rotherham.

“Hopefully we will do on Saturday.”

Ciara Oliva added to the medal haul with bronze in the women’s team pursuit, coming out of retirement to help her team onto the podium.

It was a family affair of sorts at the velodrome as Oliva’s husband Lewis had also returned to competitive cycling but missed out on a shot at a medal of his own after sprint team-mate Ioan Hepburn withdrew through illness ahead of the bronze medal race, despite having made the start line.

Former Olympic sprint silver medallist Becky North and her husband, Wales rugby legend George North, were also among the Welsh contingent watching on as James’ sister, Rachel Draper, who is the sprint coach for Team Wales, lead her team to gold.

Wales will be back on the boards looking to build on a stellar opening night, with Ball and Rotherham chasing another medal in Saturday’s tandem sprint.

---

If you want to read more pieces from Sportin Wales, why not read to our monthly magazine here or subscribe to the magazine and newsletter at https://sportin.wales/subscribe/.

Our podcast is back for the new season and our co-founder Alex Cuthbert is in charge! You can find all the episodes here or the video versions on our YouTube channel.

You can also keep track of our pieces and videos on our socials at @Sportin_Wales on X or Sportin Wales on Instagram and Facebook.