Duchess of Edinburgh wipes away tears as Team GB break world record and win Olympic gold
Sophie looked on as Team GB set a world-record time in the sprint
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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was seen wiping away tears last night as Team GB's cyclists stormed to a world record time in the women's team sprint.
Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant and Sophie Capewell made history on August 5 as they snatched Great Britain's first ever Olympic medal in the event - with the former hailing the "unreal" achievement on the podium.
And Sophie, in her role as patron of the British Cycling Federation, was in the building at France's National Velodrome as the trio swept to glory.
The duchess was pictured beaming - and wiping away tears of joy - in the stands, sporting a purple floral midi dress from British designer Erdem Moralıoğlu and white Penelope Chilvers high wedge espadrilles.
The Duchess of Edinburgh dazzled in a floral Erdem dress
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Images from the evening showed Sophie expressing her delight in full voice, cupping her hands to her mouth and applauding as GB's women pipped New Zealand to gold in a lightning-fast 45.186 seconds.
Later, the Duchess of Edinburgh was seen taking selfies with fans in the stands - before the victorious three took to the podium to receive their gongs.
Katy Marchant, 31, said: "It doesn't get much better than that," adding: "It means everything. It just shows the hard work we've put in."
Marchant made a beeline to kiss her two-year-old son Arthur in the stands, while fellow champion Emma Finucane was embraced by her family after her win.
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The Duchess of Edinburgh watched on at France's National Velodrome
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Finucane, 21, told the BBC: "It just feels unreal to even say we're Olympic champions, and standing up on the podium with these two, I just felt so content.
"We smashed it, and I know how hard we've worked back home. All those tears we've cried, all those moments our legs have been hurting, it's all been worth it."
The 21-year-old has been tipped by the likes of Dame Laura Kenny to contend for three golds in Paris, with the individual event to come on Thursday and the keirin on Sunday.
While Sophie Capewell, 25, was in floods of tears after the finish, referencing the October 2021 death of her father Nigel - a former Paralympic cyclist who competed in Atlanta and Sydney.
Great Britain's Sophie Capewell celebrates winning gold during the Women's Team Sprint finals
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Team GB's Katy Marchant, Emma Finucane and Sophie Capewell snatched a world-record time
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Capewell said: "The journey to get here for everyone has been up and down... I've had my own personal battles - I wish my dad was up in the stands watching it, but I know he's super proud of me. It didn't feel real all day."
And the Duchess of Edinburgh wasn't only watching the cycling. After touching down in Paris on Saturday, where she was met by the British ambassador to France and Monaco, Dame Menna Rawlings, Sophie was pictured greeting the Team GB men's and women's hockey teams.
The duchess is also the patron of GB Hockey, which runs the country's Olympic teams.
But while she witnessed a world record last night, Britain's hockey stars weren't quite as lucky - the men's side fell 4-2 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw against India, while the women's team were second-best to a dominant Dutch side, who ran out 3-1 winners.
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