Sophie Capewell

Sophie Ellen Capewell (born 4 September 1998) is a British professional racing cyclist. She won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the team sprint. She was also a member of the British trio who became world champions in the team sprint at the 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

Early life Capewell grew up in Staffordshire. Her father, Nigel Capewell, represented Great Britain in cycling at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. She attended Connell Sixth Form College.

Career Capewell competed in the women's sprint at the 2020 World Championships in Berlin. Capewell then went on to win bronze in the team sprint at the 2021 World Championships in Roubaix, France.

Capewell was selected for the England team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Despite taking the first race of three, Capewell ultimately lost the bronze medal final of the women's sprint to Emma Finucane of Wales, finishing fourth overall. However, she bounced back to take 500m time trial bronze the following day. She subsequently won a silver medal in the keirin, which she dedicated to her late father Nigel, who died in October 2021.

At the 2023 Track Nations Cup, Capewell won a bronze medal in the team sprint in Jakarta. She also claimed a silver medal in the sprint at the meeting in Cairo. She was beaten in the final by her teammate Finucane.

At the 2024 Track Nations Cup, Capewell was a member of the team that won back-to-back gold medals in the team sprint at Adelaide and Hong Kong. Also in 2024, she was a member of the team that secured the team pursuit title at the 2024 British Cycling National Track Championships. At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Capewell, alongside teammates Katy Marchant and Emma Finucane, won the gold medal in the women’s team sprint. The team broke the world record three times during the event, ultimately setting the new record at 45.186 seconds in the final.

At the 2024 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Ballerup, Denmark, Capewell teamed with Finucane and Marchant to win gold in the team sprint.

At the 2026 European Championships in Konya, Capewell was a member of the British trio who were defeated by Germany in the final of the team sprint. In the sprint, she ended with a silver medal after being defeated by her compatriot Finucane in the final.

At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Capewell won silver in the team sprint alongside Marchant and Rhianna Parris-Smith. The trio from England were defeated by the Welsh team in the gold medal race. One day later, she advanced to the final of the sprint and won a second silver of the Games, after she was beaten by Wales' Finucane.

Honours

Capewell was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to cycling. In 2026, she was awarded the Freedom of the City of Lichfield.

Major results

2017 National Track Championships

2018 National Track Championships

2019 National Track Championships

2021 UCI World Championships

2022 Commonwealth Games

UCI World Championships

National Track Championships

2023 2023 Track Nations Cup 3rd Team Sprint, Jakarta (with Emma Finucane and Lauren Bell) 2nd Sprint, Cairo UCI World Championships

UEC European Championships

National Track Championships

2024 National Track Championships

UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup 1st Team Sprint, Adelaide (with Katy Marchant and Emma Finucane) 1st Team sprint, Hong Kong (with Katy Marchant and Emma Finucane) Olympic Games

UCI World Championships

UEC European Championships

2026 UEC European Championships

2026 Commonwealth Games