On the track, this was an Olympics that represented a changing of the guard following the retirements of Sir Jason and Dame Laura Kenny since Tokyo, two greats who amassed 12 Olympic gold medals between them.

While the gold count was lower than at recent Games, Finucane’s bronze means Great Britain finish the track cycling in Paris with eight medals, one higher than their Tokyo haul three years ago, and 11 in total across all cycling disciplines.

But the build-up to these Olympics came with many disruptions.

Among the track team, Carlin broke his ankle in April, the same month in which Evans was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus that left her struggling to climb stairs.

Katie Archibald was ruled out weeks before the Games got under way after breaking her leg in a freak garden accident, while Dan Bigham nearly saw his debut Olympics curtailed in a training crash the weekend before the track action began.

It was Anna Henderson – one of 15 debutants in the squad – who opened the medal count on the very first day of the Games, taking time trial silver on the rain-soaked roads.

Those conditions were a far cry from the blistering heat experienced at Elancourt Hill two days later, when Tom Pidcock – just 16 days after pulling out of the Tour de France with Covid – defied a puncture to retain his Olympic gold in the mountain biking.

Three years ago in Tokyo, Team GB won four BMX medals but Kieran Reilly was the sole rider to reach the podium this time around, the world champion taking freestyle silver at Place de la Concorde. Beth Shriever, a favourite to defend her BMX racing title, finished last in her final.

And then, to the velodrome, the venue for so much of GB’s Olympic success.

Finucane, Marchant and Sophie Capewell kick-started the medal charge on the boards by winning the nation’s first Olympic women’s team sprint gold.

It was to be the only time the British national anthem was to be heard in the sweltering velodrome, the men’s team pursuit quartet going close against Australia only for Ethan Hayter to slip out of his saddle on the final lap. In the end, GB finished fourth on the track medal table – based on golds – despite their superior total tally.

But in Britain’s young riders there is so much potential for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and beyond. Take Josh Tarling, for example. The 20-year-old had been widely anticipated to contest the medals in the road time trial, only for a puncture to curtail his hopes and produce an agonising fourth-place finish.

Speaking on BBC TV, Hoy said: “It’s a great pride watching the next generation, they did us proud.

“It is tough out there. It shows there are such fine margins, we did really well.”

British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “As ever, you feel like you’ve left a few on the table, but overall it’s been a fantastic performance.

“We brought 15 first-time Olympians, nine of them are going home with medals. On the track programme, until we swapped in Mark Stewart [for the men’s madison] every single one of our track riders was going home with a medal.

“We’ve won more medals than any other nation and we’re looking forward to getting into LA and doing it all again.”