Josie Knight from Great Britain secured her first individual international championship by winning the pursuit gold at the European Track Cycling Championships held in the Netherlands.

The 26-year-old took home the first place prize in a thrilling race against Franziska Brausse. She narrowly defeated the German by a minuscule three-thousandths of a second, despite being over a second behind with only five laps remaining. Her gold medal was one of six claimed by Britain, who dominated the competition with a total of 14 medals. This was their most successful showing at a European Championships, putting them at the top of the medal standings.

Knight secured the individual gold medal in addition to the team pursuit silver she earned on Thursday. She described her victory as “special” and expressed her excitement, stating, “I am extremely happy. This is my first gold medal at the championships and my first individual title at an international competition. It holds a special place for me since I have always been a part of the team pursuit.”

“Even though you are a valuable member of the team, it is truly gratifying to achieve a personal victory.”

Anna Morris, a teammate from Great Britain, joined Knight on the podium after achieving a bronze medal in the individual pursuit. Additionally, Emma Finucane added to her successful run at the European Championships by earning her third medal, a silver, in the women’s keirin event.

Sophie Lea Friedrich of Germany claimed first place, with Finucane coming in second. Finucane, who also won gold in the individual sprint and silver in the team sprint, feels that this event has given Great Britain a positive boost.

“In all honesty, the atmosphere in our bullpen has been extraordinary throughout the entire competition. Whether they were experiencing victory or defeat, everyone was cheering for one another and supporting each other,” Finucane stated.

I believe that the momentum has continued strong throughout the week. This European event is breaking records and I can sense the excitement, especially with the 2024 Olympics approaching. This is great momentum for Great Britain.

“We will continue on throughout the year and observe what occurs, but it has been incredibly meaningful to contribute to that.”

Hamish Turnbull came in fourth place in the men’s keirin, just missing out on a spot on the podium. His teammate Jack Carlin finished in seventh place, and Will Perrett took fifth place in the men’s points race.

Great Britain were forced to withdraw from the women’s Madison after 12 laps when Elinor Barker was involved in a crash and subsequently advised not to continue in the race.

Source: theguardian.com