​Emma Finucane has spent much of the past two years learning how to live with expectation. In Glasgow, she discovered how to thrive under it.The Welsh cyclist became the first rider in 96 years to complete a Commonwealth Games sprint clean sweep, winning gold in the time trial, sprint, team sprint and keirin. Yet the significance of the achievement, she revealed, was not just the medals themselves but also the way she dealt with the pressure that came with them.After winning three medals at Paris 2024, Finucane returned home as one of the most recognisable figures in Olympic sport.With that status came a new challenge, the knowledge that every rival wanted to beat her.Emma Finucane had a target on her back as she went for Commonwealth Games history (Reuters)“After Paris, I definitely felt like I had a target on my back,” she said. “But I’ve learned to embrace that.“I’ve learned how to deal with it better and just focus on improving every day.“After Paris, everything was a huge learning curve for me emotionally too.“That week was really tough, and what I achieved was difficult to process. But going into these Games, I’ve learned how to handle pressure better and regulate my emotions more.”That development was evident throughout a week in which Finucane appeared increasingly comfortable with her position as the rider to beat.In the keirin final, she took the unusual decision to move to the front with two laps remaining, exposing herself to the slipstream of the riders behind her. It was a calculated risk that could have left her vulnerable in the closing stages.The keirin is cycling’s answer to a chess match played at 70km/h: six riders circling behind a pacing bike before the tactical battle explodes into a final-lap sprint.But Finucane had already taken control long before the final dash.She controlled the race from the front and secured the fourth gold medal of a remarkable Games.Finucane claimed her fourth gold medal of the Games in the keirin (Reuters)“I did feel the pressure, of course, especially with people talking about history and what could be achieved,” she said, before a quick shower and change of clothes so she could carry the Welsh flag at the closing ceremony.“But as an athlete, you don’t really think about that in the moment. You’re just in your own bubble, focused on the next race.“I knew I had a chance to do something special, but anything can happen in sprinting. I nearly didn’t even get through the semi-final, so it just shows you have to take it one race at a time.“I’m always thinking about the next thing, but I really want to stay in the moment now.“That’s something I haven’t always been good at, but I’m trying to change that.”Any suggestion that Finucane’s achievement came against diminished opposition was quickly dismissed by the quality of the riders she defeated.Olympic champion Ellesse Andrews took silver while defending her title, Katy Marchant – her Olympic team spri