Tom Cruise, Snoop Dogg and Billie Eilish were among those to bring Paris 2024 to a close but for the Welsh athletes Sunday still saw success.

Emma Finucane took home her third medal of the Games with a bronze in the women’s individual sprint, making her GB’s most decorated Olympian from the Paris Games.

Having already won gold in the women’s team sprint and bronze in the women’s keirin, 21-year-old Finucane capped off her Games with a bronze, with surely more medals to come from the cyclist from Carmarthen.

Her third medal was one of 13 won by Welsh athletes in a record Games for Wales but that doesn’t quite tell the whole story.

Record Numbers

There were more athletes at the Olympics from Wales than ever before. A 33 strong team entered Paris, not including those as reserves, and they returned with a record number of 13 medals won.

Hopes were high going into the games with a number of World and European Champions heading to Paris in Welsh colours.

The highs were huge. Matt Richards and Kieran Bird both played their part as the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay won gold in the pool, while Emma Finucane anchored the women’s team sprint to win on the track.

In rowing, Harry Brightmore coxed the men’s eight which won one of GB’s three golds at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.

Silvers saw 2023 World Champion Richards finish second in the men’s 200 metre individual freestyle, while Ollie Wynne-Griffith won silver in the men’s pair in rowing and Elinor Barker followed suit in the women’s madison in the velodrome.

As expected, Britain’s triple threat of pool, rowing and cycling came to the fore for Wales. Rowers Matt Aldridge, Eve Stewart and Becky Wilde in the Men’s Four, Women’s Eight and Women’s double sculls respectively took bronze, while Finucane added a pair of bronzes on the bike and the Welsh triumvirate of Elinor Barker, Jess Roberts and Anna Morris secured third in the Women’s Team Pursuit.

The only Welsh medal outside of the pool, a rowing boat or the velodrome was won by Jeremiah Azu as he was part of the men’s 4x100m relay team which took home bronze.

Firsts Aplenty

Alongside the medal tally, the Games saw a number of firsts.

Jasmine Joyce became the first British rugby player to appear at three Olympic Games, Anna Hursey and Ella Maclean-Howell the first Welsh table tennis and mountain biker’s respectively, while 17-year-old Ruby Evans became the first Welsh gymnast at an Olympics since 1996.

There was further history made as Barker’s two medals made her the most decorated Welsh woman at the Olympics with her fourth medal in total, while Finucane became the first Welsh athlete to win three medals at a single Olympic Games.

Individual Misfortune

Despite the team successes, it is possible to look back on Paris with an air of what might have been.

The omens didn’t look bright when Josh Tarling punctured on the first official day of competition. Finishing fourth in the Men’s Individual Time Trial, the cyclist from Aberaeron recovered to finish just two seconds off the podium in an event where he is European Champion.

Matters were made worse the following day when reigning Commonwealth Boxing Champion Rosie Eccles lost in the women’s 66kg category in a controversial split decision leaving her devastated.

The ‘Oh So Close’ Brigade

As with every Olympics there were plenty of almost medallists, both gold and to get on the podium.

Richards was one who missed out narrowly for gold by just two one hundredths from Romania’s David Popovici.

Richards came into the Games with high hopes as the 2023 200m freestyle World Champion, but while he and his team defended their 4x200m freestyle gold from Tokyo.

There was also disappointment for the men’s 4x100m Medley Relay as GB finished fourth with Richards swimming the 100m freestyle anchor leg.

Ollie Wynne-Griffith and teammate Tom George were pipped on the line to gold in the men’s pair in rowing by Croatian stars the Sinković brothers who retained their title.

Ruby Evans was another who missed out narrowly as the women’s team missed out on bronze by less than 0.25 in the artistic gymnastics.

There were also fourth placed finishes for Graeme Thomas and Tom Barras in the men’s quadruple sculls.

Finally, sailor Michael Beckett was in bronze medal position and chasing silver when the Men’s Olympic Dingy race was postponed due to a lack of wind. Ultimately when the medal race took place, Beckett finished 10^th ending up in sixth position overall.

Bring On LA

Ultimately, Wales’ results, much like the rest of GB, showed a lot of positivity with the team hitting their medal target but significantly down on the number of golds compared to London, Rio and Tokyo, with Britain ultimately finishing seventh in the table below the Netherlands.

With the likes of Richards and Finucane missing out on gold it has perhaps not been a success to the levels some would have hoped but with both at 21-years-old there are plenty of other Games for both to impress.

Jeremiah Azu at 23 has already suggested that the best is yet to come in his sprinting future.

Elsewhere, Ruby Evans and Anna Hursey are both teenagers, with Josh Tarling and World U23 time trial champion Zoe Bäckstedt aged 20 and 19 respectively.

Bring on 2028 and bring it on LA!

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