Harrie Lavreysen from Luyksgestel has again become world sprint champion. The 28-year-old track cyclist defeated the British Matthew Richardson in two heats in the final and thus won the title for the seventh time in a row. With his victory, he is the first track sprinter ever to win four gold medals at one World Championship. “Not normal, I felt so good.”
For Harrie Lavreysen it was his fourth world title during this World Cup in Chile. He previously became world champion in Santiago in the team sprint (together with teammates Roy van den Berg and Jeffrey Hoogland), the keirin and the kilometer time trial.
Ambitious plan
After his victory in the keirin, an event in which six cyclists first ride behind a kind of moped for three laps and then ride a sprint race, Lavreysen announced that he wanted to go for four titles at this tournament. “No one has ever achieved that before.”
With his victory in the individual sprint, the king’s event of track cycling, Lavreysen completed his historic quartet. He is the first track sprinter ever to win four gold medals at one World Championship.
“This one is nice. I win my fourth gold here and the individual sprint is the king’s event. It is wonderful when you enter the track, one against one, and know that you can have anyone in the world. That is fun!”, said a euphoric Lavreysen after his triumph.
In the final of the individual sprint, Lavreysen defeated his biggest competitor, the British Matthew Richardson, who previously rode for Australia.
World record
Despite the fact that Richardson took the world record for the 200 meters from Lavreysen earlier this year, the Dutchman proved unbeatable in the tactical sprint. “He challenges me, it keeps me busy. That makes this title even better,” says Lavreysen.
With this seventh world title in the individual sprint, Koichi Nakano’s ultimate sprint record is even within sight. The Japanese has been at the same height since 1986 with ten gold medals; Lavreysen is now well on his way to matching that achievement.