Latest news with #CommonwealthGamesEngland
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Laura Kenny backs new British cycling golden couple to match her and Jason
Dame Laura Kenny knows just how challenging it can be to be one half of track cycling's golden couple, but she is backing Emma Finucane and boyfriend Matt Richardson to follow in the slipstream of her and Jason Kenny. Having represented Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Maidstone-born Richardson has switched allegiances to Great Britain and has now completed a stand-down period that saw him miss last year's World Championships and the recent European Championships. Training under Jason Kenny, Richardson is now one of the big stars of the British track cycling team, having come away from Paris with a hat-trick of medals – including a silver medal in the men's sprint ahead of new teammate Jack Carlin, who won bronze. Finucane also won three medals last summer, including gold in the women's team sprint, and Laura Kenny believes that come the Los Angeles Olympics, the pair will be thrust into the limelight in the same way that she and Jason were after their success at London 2012. But where that was something of an overnight transformation, she is confident that Finucane and Richardson will be better prepared for the increased scrutiny. 'It happened overnight for us. It was the scariest thing I've ever had to go through. I wouldn't change it for the world though because I probably wouldn't be sitting here today,' explained Kenny, who has been appointed as the new president of Commonwealth Games England. 'It is definitely something that takes a bit of getting used to. Emma is under the same management company that we are now, so she's got that aspect in terms of Rocket Sports have been through it with us. They will know what to tell her. 'It was a steep learning curve for us, it took a lot of getting used to. You don't ask for it as an athlete, but it is something you have to accept because ultimately your life is in the public eye. 'There are enough people within British Cycling, Jason is a coach, if there was an issue or they felt like it was a distraction, Jason can share our experience quite happily and easily. It will come after the next Olympics, I think. If they are both successful at the next Olympics, it will come for them, and they will have to learn as we did.' Now 32, Kenny retired from cycling in 2024, ending her career as Britain's most successful female Olympian. By being named the new president of Commonwealth Games England, she is the third successive woman – and dame of the realm – to hold the role following Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Denise Lewis. While she burst into the national consciousness at the London Olympics in 2012, her senior international debut came two years earlier for Team England at Delhi 2010. It gave her a first taste of a multi-sport event, and was the start of a love affair with the Commonwealth Games that saw her win gold in Glasgow four years later – triumphing in the points race ahead of Team GB team pursuit colleagues Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker, representing Scotland and Wales, respectively. Eight years on from Glasgow, Kenny won a gold medal in the scratch race at Birmingham 2022, before conducting an emotional interview with the BBC in which she revealed how much her mental health had been affected by a traumatic few months in which she suffered a miscarriage and then an ectopic pregnancy. Now, she admits that her victory at those Games ranks up there with anything she has achieved in the sport. She said: 'The Birmingham Commonwealth Games title, I'm so proud of that medal. Sometimes I think that is ranked higher than the Olympic medals just because of everything that I had gone through, that Jase and I had gone through. 'I was very open about it afterwards, which I hadn't been beforehand. Maybe I should have been, and it would have been easier. I did that interview that everyone saw on the BBC, and it was the first time I had been truly open about feelings about my mental health. 'I feel quite privileged that I've gone through my career without feeling like I have to talk to a psych, it's just not me, it's never been my personality. I talk a lot as everyone knows. That has always been my tool but the minute I lost that tool and shut down, that was the worst thing. I became my own worst enemy. 'I think by being able to get that voice back and saying it on such a public platform, it helped so many other people and so many other athletes. So, there are two things, the fact I changed my mindset but post that, I could also help others, that is what makes that gold medal so special.' Part of Kenny's new role will be to ensure that athletes feel appreciated when it comes to the Commonwealth Games, with the next edition in Glasgow just 500 days away. At the same time that she was winning scratch gold at Birmingham 2022, Richardson won a pair of gold medals for Australia, and Dame Laura believes there will be plenty of big names who will jump at the chance to return to the Commonwealth stage in 2026. She added: 'I think you will see the Olympic superstars at the Commies. Matty is Team England now, so it's going to be Team England flying his medal in front of Australia. It will be interesting! 'I know it was chaos, and it got quite a lot of negative press from the Australians' point of view (when Richardson switched allegiances). But in terms of how it panned out, it was the best situation that Great Britain could have had. 'It's going to be interesting seeing Matty versus Jack (Carlin), because Jack is Scottish. We might not have a team sprint team to come back to, Jase, after they have knocked each other out!'
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kenny named youngest Commonwealth Games England president
Track cycling great Dame Laura Kenny has been appointed Commonwealth Games England (CGE) president. At 32, she is the youngest president in the organisation's history and third consecutive woman to hold the role after Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Denise Lewis. Kenny is Britain's most successful female Olympian, winning five golds and a silver, in addition to seven world titles and 14 European golds. She competed at three Commonwealth Games, winning gold at Glasgow 2014, and gold and bronze at Birmingham 2022 - the last medals before she retired in March 2024. CGE says Kenny will be a "key ambassador" in the build-up to the next Games in Glasgow in 2026, while its chair John Steele adds the former cyclist will "play a crucial role in helping us protect the future" of the Commonwealth movement. Glasgow will host a scaled-down version of the multi-sport event, which was due to be held in Victoria, but the Australian state withdrew due to rising costs. "I love the unique feel of the event and I'm thrilled to work with and support England's athletes as their prepare for Glasgow and future Commonwealth Youth Games too," said mother-of-two Kenny. "I have devoted my life to cycling and while that sport will always be my passion, it is great to have the opportunity to pass on some of my experience to athletes from a wider range of sports." Steele added: "Her passion for the Games is clear and her insights will be invaluable. She is one of our nation's greatest athletes and that experience at the very highest level of sport will inspire the next generation of Team England and assist the CGE in supporting them. "She brings invaluable experience to our senior leadership team as we look to the future with renewed confidence." March is Commonwealth Day and marks 500 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Games.
The Independent
09-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Dame Laura Kenny named president of Commonwealth Games England
Dame Laura Kenny has insisted the Commonwealth Games remain as relevant as ever to athletes as the five-time Olympic champion takes on a new role as president of Commonwealth Games England. Two-and-a-half years after winning scratch race gold at the Birmingham Games, the last victory of Kenny's illustrious career, the 32-year-old has become the organisation's youngest ever president, following in the footsteps of Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Denise Lewis. But Kenny's appointment comes as the future of the Commonwealth Games continues to be debated. Birmingham was widely seen as a success but only a year later the Australian state of Victoria cancelled plans to host the 2026 edition due to rising costs. Instead, Glasgow will host a much-reduced form of the Games – with Monday marking 500 days to go – and questions remain over where the event fits in the sporting landscape. But Kenny said that from the perspective of those taking part, the Commonwealth Games remain vital. 'It absolutely is (still relevant),' Kenny told the PA news agency. 'If you ask an athlete, besides the Olympics it's the only multi-sport event we actually have. If you turn up at a world championships and it goes wrong, there's always next year. 'The Commonwealth Games are every four years. It's a real learning curve. The Olympics are the only other thing where you have to wait four years to rectify it.' Kenny believes the experience of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was a pivotal moment in her career. Even though she did not make an impact in Delhi, it set her up for the success that followed in London two years later. 'Delhi didn't go well for me necessarily, but after that I got put on the long list for London 2012, and it was that kind of spiral that started my journey,' she said. 'I look back and having that experience of going to a multi-discipline event, the experience of an athlete's village, the Commonwealth Games was my opportunity to do all that so when I went to London 2012 it wasn't scary, it wasn't daunting. I'd done it before.' Kenny admitted she was surprised by the crisis created by Victoria's decision to pull out of 2026. Although Glasgow stepped in, only 10 sports remain on the programme – half the number from Birmingham – with hockey, diving, cricket, badminton, beach volleyball, rugby sevens, squash, table tennis, triathlon and wrestling all cut along with the marathon and road cycling. Kenny said she will consider reaching out to some of those athletes who had expected to be competing before the cuts were announced. 'I can't imagine thinking you were going to have an event and then it being pulled out from underneath you, because it's like Covid and the (postponement of the Tokyo) Olympics, the horrible feeling you've training for all that time for nothing,' she said. 'I'd be gutted if it was my sport that had been pulled… When they said it was going to be more compact, you thought this could be an absolute disaster if they pull the wrong events, but you're never going to please everyone.' Kenny announced in January that she and husband Sir Jason are expecting a third child later this year, but taking on a new role entirely different to anything she has done before while handling a growing family does not daunt her. 'We are absolute carnage and the kids thrive off it,' she said of family life. 'It never crossed my mind not to take it.'
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Kenny named youngest Commonwealth Games England president
Track cycling great Dame Laura Kenny has been appointed Commonwealth Games England (CGE) 32, she is the youngest president in the organisation's history and third consecutive woman to hold the role after Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Denise is Britain's most successful female Olympian, winning five golds and a silver, in addition to seven world titles and 14 European competed at three Commonwealth Games, winning gold at Glasgow 2014, and gold and bronze at Birmingham 2022 - the last medals before she retired in March says Kenny will be a "key ambassador" in the build-up to the next Games in Glasgow in 2026, while its chair John Steele adds the former cyclist will "play a crucial role in helping us protect the future" of the Commonwealth will host a scaled-down version of the multi-sport event, which was due to be held in Victoria, but the Australian state withdrew due to rising costs."I love the unique feel of the event and I'm thrilled to work with and support England's athletes as their prepare for Glasgow and future Commonwealth Youth Games too," said mother-of-two Kenny."I have devoted my life to cycling and while that sport will always be my passion, it is great to have the opportunity to pass on some of my experience to athletes from a wider range of sports."Steele added: "Her passion for the Games is clear and her insights will be invaluable. She is one of our nation's greatest athletes and that experience at the very highest level of sport will inspire the next generation of Team England and assist the CGE in supporting them."She brings invaluable experience to our senior leadership team as we look to the future with renewed confidence."March is Commonwealth Day and marks 500 days to go until the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Games.
The Independent
09-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Laura Kenny backs new British cycling golden couple to match her and Jason
Dame Laura Kenny knows just how challenging it can be to be one half of track cycling's golden couple, but she is backing Emma Finucane and boyfriend Matt Richardson to follow in the slipstream of her and Jason Kenny. Having represented Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Maidstone-born Richardson has switched allegiances to Great Britain and has now completed a stand-down period that saw him miss last year's World Championships and the recent European Championships. Training under Jason Kenny, Richardson is now one of the big stars of the British track cycling team, having come away from Paris with a hat-trick of medals – including a silver medal in the men's sprint ahead of new teammate Jack Carlin, who won bronze. Finucane also won three medals last summer, including gold in the women's team sprint, and Laura Kenny believes that come the Los Angeles Olympics, the pair will be thrust into the limelight in the same way that she and Jason were after their success at London 2012. But where that was something of an overnight transformation, she is confident that Finucane and Richardson will be better prepared for the increased scrutiny. 'It happened overnight for us. It was the scariest thing I've ever had to go through. I wouldn't change it for the world though because I probably wouldn't be sitting here today,' explained Kenny, who has been appointed as the new president of Commonwealth Games England. 'It is definitely something that takes a bit of getting used to. Emma is under the same management company that we are now, so she's got that aspect in terms of Rocket Sports have been through it with us. They will know what to tell her. 'It was a steep learning curve for us, it took a lot of getting used to. You don't ask for it as an athlete, but it is something you have to accept because ultimately your life is in the public eye. 'There are enough people within British Cycling, Jason is a coach, if there was an issue or they felt like it was a distraction, Jason can share our experience quite happily and easily. It will come after the next Olympics, I think. If they are both successful at the next Olympics, it will come for them, and they will have to learn as we did.' Now 32, Kenny retired from cycling in 2024, ending her career as Britain's most successful female Olympian. By being named the new president of Commonwealth Games England, she is the third successive woman – and dame of the realm – to hold the role following Dame Kelly Holmes and Dame Denise Lewis. While she burst into the national consciousness at the London Olympics in 2012, her senior international debut came two years earlier for Team England at Delhi 2010. It gave her a first taste of a multi-sport event, and was the start of a love affair with the Commonwealth Games that saw her win gold in Glasgow four years later – triumphing in the points race ahead of Team GB team pursuit colleagues Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker, representing Scotland and Wales, respectively. Eight years on from Glasgow, Kenny won a gold medal in the scratch race at Birmingham 2022, before conducting an emotional interview with the BBC in which she revealed how much her mental health had been affected by a traumatic few months in which she suffered a miscarriage and then an ectopic pregnancy. Now, she admits that her victory at those Games ranks up there with anything she has achieved in the sport. She said: 'The Birmingham Commonwealth Games title, I'm so proud of that medal. Sometimes I think that is ranked higher than the Olympic medals just because of everything that I had gone through, that Jase and I had gone through. 'I was very open about it afterwards, which I hadn't been beforehand. Maybe I should have been, and it would have been easier. I did that interview that everyone saw on the BBC, and it was the first time I had been truly open about feelings about my mental health. 'I feel quite privileged that I've gone through my career without feeling like I have to talk to a psych, it's just not me, it's never been my personality. I talk a lot as everyone knows. That has always been my tool but the minute I lost that tool and shut down, that was the worst thing. I became my own worst enemy. 'I think by being able to get that voice back and saying it on such a public platform, it helped so many other people and so many other athletes. So, there are two things, the fact I changed my mindset but post that, I could also help others, that is what makes that gold medal so special.' Part of Kenny's new role will be to ensure that athletes feel appreciated when it comes to the Commonwealth Games, with the next edition in Glasgow just 500 days away. At the same time that she was winning scratch gold at Birmingham 2022, Richardson won a pair of gold medals for Australia, and Dame Laura believes there will be plenty of big names who will jump at the chance to return to the Commonwealth stage in 2026. She added: 'I think you will see the Olympic superstars at the Commies. Matty is Team England now, so it's going to be Team England flying his medal in front of Australia. It will be interesting! 'I know it was chaos, and it got quite a lot of negative press from the Australians' point of view (when Richardson switched allegiances). But in terms of how it panned out, it was the best situation that Great Britain could have had. 'It's going to be interesting seeing Matty versus Jack (Carlin), because Jack is Scottish. We might not have a team sprint team to come back to, Jase, after they have knocked each other out!'
