The Paris Olympics have finally arrived, and I find it surprising to say that I feel excited instead of anxious. It has taken me 12 years to get to this moment. I take pride in having secured five gold medals across three consecutive Olympic Games in London, Rio, and Tokyo, but there’s another aspect to my story that may surprise you. On the outside, I appeared confident and at ease, yet internally, I always considered myself to be the most anxious Olympic champion you could encounter.
Before every race, I would be overwhelmed with nerves, my hands sweaty and trembling. However, there was one critical realization that changed everything for me: feeling nervous at the Olympics is completely normal.
Even if I had to make a quick trip to the restroom to deal with my nerves while the velodrome buzzed with enthralled spectators, I maintained clarity of thought. I’d come back, ensuring I had an energy drink or gel to refuel. This routine became second nature to me. The nerves were just a part of the process, and I learned to embrace them, which allowed me to perform without them interfering during my rides.
Earlier this year, I retired to fully dedicate myself to motherhood with our two sons, Albie and Monty. While I won’t miss the unavoidable stress and queasiness that come with competition, a growing excitement within me stems from the thought that I might soon lose my title as the most nervous Olympic champion to another British cyclist—the remarkable sprint athlete, Emma Finucane.
No pressure, Emma, but I’m ready to take a chance and say she is the Team GB member I have the utmost confidence in to shine in Paris. At only 21, she is already a world champion, and she has a strong opportunity of clinching gold in the individual sprint while also making a mark in the team sprint and keirin. Her talent is truly exceptional.
Emma and I share a common experience; before winning the individual sprint at last year’s World Championships in Glasgow, she found herself in tears in the restroom. She later shared: “When you’re so close to gold, it’s really challenging. I wanted it so badly, and before the final, I was incredibly nervous.”
Adam Peaty is attempting to become only the second male swimmer in history to win gold in the same event at three consecutive Games. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA
I completely understood Emma’s sentiment when she said that crying helped her “get it out… and then I came back and just raced and left everything on the track.”
That’s the spirit of a girl destined to be an Olympic champion who resonates with me.
I wasn’t taken aback by her world title win because my husband, Jason, had been enthusiastically talking about her for months. With his extensive knowledge of sprint cycling—having won nine Olympic medals, seven of them gold—his insights since retiring as a rider have given him a unique perspective on Emma’s potential. As the coach of the men’s sprint squad, he often observes Emma and the female sprinters during their training.
Many nights over the past year, Jason has come home, excitedly saying: “Wow, Emma’s flying!” He shares her impressive times with me, but I’ve grown accustomed to hearing rave reviews about her. My sister, Emma Trott, who used to coach the GB junior team, frequently watched Emma during her training and strongly believed she was destined for greatness in endurance racing.
My Emma once told me that Emma Finucane was set to become the next remarkable champion in the omnium—one of my events. However, the young Emma just continued to improve at an astonishing rate. She speeds up on her third lap during a team sprint more than many athletes do on their second lap. That’s phenomenal. Emma has the potential to secure multiple medals in Paris, and she will be aiming for gold in all of them in the second week.
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I’m looking forward to following many sports in Paris—from swimming and diving to athletics, canoeing, gymnastics, and trampolining. The anticipation is exhilarating, especially with Team GB’s expectations. Kate Barker, our head of performance, mentioned recently that we aim to win between 50 and 70 medals. This goal seems achievable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we break the British record for the most medals won in a single Games, which was previously set at 67 in Rio 2016.
Someone even suggested that we could finish second in the overall medal table. While that would be quite a challenge, as Great Britain would need to surpass either China or the USA, the fact that some optimistic individuals are considering such a prospect attests to our strong performance.
I am captivated by the individual stories that lie behind the victories and the tears. I feel a particular connection with Adam Peaty, who is striving to become only the second male swimmer—after Michael Phelps—to win Olympic gold in the same event thrice in a row. Back in 2016 and 2021, both Adam and I faced immense expectations to simply show up and win. While we succeeded, the pressure was overwhelming. If he manages to repeat that feat in the 100m breaststroke, especially in light of his personal challenges outside the pool, it would undoubtedly become one of the great Olympic tales.
I encountered Adam at Wimbledon earlier this month, and between the matches, we had a chance to chat. He appeared genuinely happy and understood that just being back in the Olympic pool is a victory in itself—regardless of the final’s outcome.
Whether it’s Adam earning another medal or Emma earning my unofficial title as the most nervous Olympic champion, I’m eagerly looking forward to what unfolds in Paris.
