• Saturday, August 10, 2024 at 7:30 AM
Interview He has already won four golds and one bronze at the Olympic Games with his powerful legs. Harrie Lavreysen is well on his way to becoming one of the best Dutch Olympians in history in Paris.
Although after winning the individual sprint, Lavreysen’s sights are mainly set on ‘Harries Hattrick’: after the team sprint and the individual sprint, he also wants to win Olympic gold in the keirin in the French capital. Something that only the British Chris Hoy (2008) and Jason Kenny (2016) have achieved so far.
With four gold medals at the Summer Games, Lavreysen is now equal with Inge de Bruijn, Leontien Zijlaarc-Van Moorsel, Ch. Pahud de Mortanges and Fanny Blankers-Koen. At the Winter Games, Ireen Wüst managed to win six golds and Sven Kramer was stuck on four golds. On Sunday at the keirin, the track sprinter can go for his fifth gold medal, which would make him the best Dutch Olympian ever at the Summer Games. While Lavreysen has already indicated that he will continue until Los Angeles 2028, when he will still be only 31 years old.
Final Harrie Lavreysen vs Matthew Richardson. Photo: Cor Vos
After the sensational world record last Tuesday on the team sprint of Lavreysen with Jeffrey Hoogland and Roy van den Berg (under the magical limit of 41 seconds), the sprint prodigy from Luyksgestel immediately improves the world record on the 200 meters a day later during the qualification on the individual sprint. He is then sovereign lord and master in all his sprints. “I have not made a mistake this entire tournament, I am proud of that”, he concludes after his golden ride against the Australian Matthew Richardson.
Lavreysen predicted it on Tuesday evening, half an hour after the Olympic gold in the team sprint. He somewhat unconsciously names three names that he rates highly for the individual sprint: Richardson, the Scot Jack Carlin and compatriot Jeffrey Hoogland. Exactly the men who manage to qualify for the semi-finals in the last four.
But whoever it is; there is nothing you can do against ‘The Beast’ Lavreysen. “I tried to drive as economically as possible during this tournament,” he explains. “Only on the final day did I put on the heaviest gear. I try to do that as late as possible in the tournament, so that I don’t blow myself up too early.”
Photo: Yves Perret
“With a lighter gear I save my legs a bit and I am also more flexible. If they surprise me in the first rounds, I can just follow them faster. With a lighter gear I am also able to reach top speed. It is very nice that I have the physical possibility to change gear.”
He calls it a rare sensation to feel as strong as he felt on the velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines on this Friday, August 8, 2024. “Today was so cool,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. “After the first day with the 200 meter qualification, I was exhausted. On Thursday, I was actually able to recover and today I felt great.”
Nervous
On Friday afternoon he will compete against Carlin in the semi-finals. “I was very focused in those stages. I didn’t want to make a mistake. I was actually more nervous for the semi-final than for the final, because I didn’t want to ride a third deciding stage right before the final. I wanted to go into the final as fresh as possible. I haven’t lost many stages in the past four years, but when I did, it was against Richardson. In qualifying, he was only 0.03 seconds slower. I knew I had to give it my all in the final.”
In the final, Lavryesen could, no, had to, go all out. Or as he puts it himself: “In the final, I could finally throw my strength around. In the first stage, I started from the front and kept him at a distance. Although I had to ride really hard for that. I prefer to start the sprint from second position. That happened in the second stage. He took a bit of a distance, which allowed me to chase him from the top in a full bend.”
Photo: Cor Vos
He himself coined the term ‘Harries Hattrick’ in the run-up to these Olympic Games. After his Olympic title in the sprint, the support staff in the mixed zone takes his roller bench with them so that he can do his cooling down during the interviews. The focus is now on the keirin, where the first round takes place on Saturday and the quarter, semi and finals on Sunday.
“I want to go on to the next event at these Olympic Games. I hope to get further on Saturday in the first round of the keirin, so that I can recover somewhat afterwards. Then I have to be completely ready for the finals on Sunday. It is unreal what is happening. I do everything for my sport all year, but that I have managed to be here in absolute top form again is fantastic.”
In the keirin, Lavreysen was stuck on bronze three years ago. In Tokyo 2021, it became a bizarre final when Jason Kenny accelerated from first position immediately when the derny disappeared from the track. The successful Briton then started a solo of three laps with which he surprised everyone. Lavreysen tried to bridge the gap with the successful Briton. He failed in this attempt and also lost the strength to claim the silver. As a result, the Brabander had to settle for bronze three years ago. So he still has some making up to do in this originally Japanese sprint discipline.
“The hat-trick? I try not to think about it too much. I try to live from race to race as much as possible.”
However, the two gold medals now on his bedside table will motivate him even more to achieve his Olympic hat-trick.
