COPENHAGEN, OCT 16 – Dutch cycling star Harrie Lavreysen is now on the hunt to make history by adding to his collection of 13 titles at the world track championships which will start in Denmark tomorrow.
After winning three gold medals in the speed category at the Paris Olympics, the 27-year-old athlete aims to become the athlete who has won the most titles at the world championships.
Nicknamed former BMX racer The BeastLavreysen only needs one more gold to match France’s Arnaud Tournant’s record of 14 titles and if he manages to win two medals, he will be the record winner.
His first chance to equal that record will come in the team sprint event tomorrow.
Lavreysen is a five-time sprint champion and considered the top seed in the event after winning gold medals in the team and individual events, as well as a keirin gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
A former triple gold winner in the keirin, Lavreysen was fourth in the race last year in Glasgow but won Olympic gold in Paris.
He also helped the Netherlands to gold medals in the team sprint at last year’s world championships and on the Olympic track in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
Taking place just two months after Paris 2024, several stars including Italy’s Filippo Ganna did not participate in the five-day world championships in Ballerup, a suburb of Copenhagen.
However, the line-up of other riders who were present were also quite good, including Belgian rider Lotte Kopecky, a six-time world champion, and Jennifer Valente from the United States, a three-time Olympic champion and a seven-time world champion. – AFP
