Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands celebrates after winning the men’s keirin final of track cycling for gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
PARIS, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — Harrie Lavreysen wrote his name in the history books on Sunday when he claimed his third gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games on the track at the Velodrome.
The Dutch rider delivered a dominant ride, adding another gold medal in the Keirin to the gold medals he previously won in the men’s sprint and team sprint.
“It’s incredible, it was my biggest dream to win gold three times,” said Lavreysen.
“I’ve felt really strong all week. This morning I thought: ‘It’s possible’ – but I had to ride the perfect final and I was really close to doing that,” he commented, adding that he always believed it was possible.
“I won two golds and one bronze in Tokyo and I trained really, really hard to be strong every day. Between Tokyo and today I won the World Championships three times, so I knew it was possible. But doing it is something completely different,” explained the rider.
Lavreysen started his sprint early in the six-lap race but had the speed and power to finish comfortably ahead of Australia’s Matthew Richardson, who, like after the men’s sprint, had to settle for silver.
“We rode the fastest keirin we’ve ever ridden in this final with a 9.3. That would have put us over 90 percent of the field on sprint day, so that just showed how high the standard was and how much we pushed each other,” said the Australian rider.
His compatriot Matthew Glaetzer won the bronze medal in the race after Briton Jack Carlin, Japanese Shinji Nakano and Malaysian Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom were eliminated due to a fall in the last corner and he was able to cross the finish line alone.
While Lavreysen is the hero of the men’s sprint, New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews can claim to be the best cyclist on the velodrome track after her victory in the women’s sprint.
On Sunday morning, she defeated reigning world champion Emma Finucane of Great Britain in the semifinals and then demonstrated her superiority with an impressive sprint performance, winning her first two sprints against Germany’s Lea Friedrich.
“I feel like I’m living in a dream. I don’t really know what to say. It’s been a massive week and I’m just so proud of how I managed to keep going until the end of the competition,” said Andrews.
With her victory, Andrews has won a total of three medals this week, having already won silver in the team sprint and gold in the women’s keirin.
Friedrich took the silver medal, while Finucane defeated Dutchwoman Hetty van de Wouw in the race for bronze and returned home from Paris with one gold and two bronze medals.
“It was sensational. The whole week was a rollercoaster of emotions… I gave everything on the track,” said the British driver.
The last gold medal decided on the track was won by Jennifer Valente of the USA, as she celebrated a relatively comfortable victory in the women’s omnium.
Valente, the reigning Olympic and World Champion, was the strongest rider in the field and showed this by winning two of the competition’s four disciplines.
Valente’s control of the race means the drama is behind her. Poland’s Daria Pikulik finished second and New Zealand’s Ally Wollaston took bronze, in addition to her silver medal in the team pursuit.
“I didn’t even know I was in contention for the bronze medal until about 10 laps to go. Then I heard my name and looked at the board. It was the first time I looked up and thought, ‘Oh my God, yes,'” said a happy Wollaston. ■
Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands celebrates after the men’s keirin final of track cycling at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands celebrates after the men’s keirin final of track cycling at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Harrie Lavreysen (1st from left) of the Netherlands competes during the semifinal of men’s keirin track cycling at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Gold medalist Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand reacts during the victory ceremony of the women’s track cycling sprint at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand celebrates after the women’s sprint final of track cycling at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
Ellesse Andrews (left) of New Zealand and Lea Friedrich of Germany compete during the women’s track cycling sprint final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand celebrates after the women’s sprint final of track cycling at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Ellesse Andrews (front) of New Zealand competes in the semifinal of women’s track cycling sprint at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Gold medalist Ellesse Andrews of New Zealand celebrates after the victory ceremony during the women’s track cycling sprint at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 11, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)
