# World champ Andrews upgrades to Olympic gold in Paris keirin

*By Simon | August 8, 2024*

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![Paris 2024 Olympic Games](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AW6_3720.jpg)

## 󠀁[World champ Andrews upgrades to Olympic gold in Paris keirin](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/08/world-champ-andrews-upgrades-to-olympic-gold-in-paris-keirin/)󠁿

8 August 2024

New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews turned Olympic silver in Tokyo into Parisian gold,
with victory in the women’s keirin final.

Starting from first position, directly behind the pacer, reigning world champion
Andrews was overlapped by Mexico’s Gaxiola as racing got properly underway. But
she stayed calm and reclaimed the front with two laps to go.

Then with the favourite, Great Britain’s Emma Finucane drawing alongside, she
dug deep to maintain her lead, and claim a decisive victory.

‘I think it’s surreal,’ she told New Zealand’s Sky Sport. ‘I like to not get too
overwhelmed or over-worked before the race. I was just thinking about the simple
things and for me it was just another round of keirin.’

![Paris 2024 Olympic Games](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/AW7_2174.jpg)

_Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com_

Andrews’s father and coach Jon was at track centre. ‘Most of the time your
parents are on the other side of the fence, so to have one on this side of the
fence with me is pretty unusual for this sport, but very special.’

Finucane had to make do with bronze, with the Netherlands’ van de Wouw snatching
silver from her in the last few metres.

But Finucane was in positive spirits, telling the BBC: ‘It’s about giving back
to my family. It’s about them watching me race my bike with a smile on my face.

![CTRWKEIRIN------------FNL-000100--_1_1](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/CTRWKEIRIN-FNL-000100-_1_1.jpg)

_Finish line photo from olympics.com_

‘I couldn’t have given any more today. Congrats to Ellesse and to Hetty. To get
that bronze medal was… unreal. I can’t believe it.’

Emma Hinze’s wait for Olympic gold continues; she finished fifth behind
Britain’s Katy Marchant, with Daniela Gaxiola of Mexico in sixth. Lea Sophie
Friedrich won the minor final ahead of France’s Mathilde Gros.

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** paris2024