Aftermath turbulent Keirin: fallen rider must calm compatriots, gymnastics application and Steve Bradbury

In the Netherlands on Sunday, of course, we mostly watched ''Hattrick Harrie" Lavreysen in the final of the Keirin, but a lot happened behind that as well. Briton Jack Carlin, Malaysian Shah Firdaus Sohman, and Japanese Shinji Nakano crashed hard onto the track in the last corner, leaving Aussie Matthew Glaetzer to ride to bronze from a defeated position. And so there was plenty to talk about afterward.

Starting with the Australians, who shined with silver and bronze behind Lavreysen. Matthew Richardson, the big rival for the Dutchman, was again left with spot two. "I gave everything," revealed the muscular rider. "I wasn't nervous at all and just wanted to give everything. I thought I caught Harrie for a moment, but he rode smart lines toward the last corner and eventually plunged down."

"I did push Harrie to the limit, and it was the fastest final Keirin ever, with a lap of 9.397 seconds," said Richardson, who thus rode the final 250 meters at 76.62 kilometers per hour. The Aussie is not concerned with Lavreysen's gold sweep. "It's not like that makes me happier with silver. I'm racing for the win, but second is better than fourth."

Glaetzer got the bronze medal because of the men falling before him. "I've been unlucky in my career, so finishing with some luck is nice. I'm thrilled I was able to stay straight in the last corner. They were pushing, and I saw them all go to the ground, so at that point, it was also purely about survival. And then suddenly I had a bronze medal, which I could hardly believe."

"I feel a bit like Steve Bradbury," Glaetzer alludes to the Aussie who once took short track gold after all the competitors fell before him. "But it's wonderful to finish with an individual Olympic medal now, and it's an exceptional feeling. I'll be racing for a while but leave the Olympic cycle towards Los Angeles 2028 to the others."

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Malaysian condemns hate reactions; Carlin closes turbulent tournament 

Next, the fallen men. Japan's Nakano crashed into Sohman from the inner curve, after which Carlin could also not move. The Scot, a frequent topic of conversation this tournament because of his behavior on the track, could still see the fun in it via social media. He somersaulted, hinting at the British Gymnastics Federation. "Can I maybe consider a transfer for LA 2028? I'm still in one piece, but there are a few scratches. Time to have a beer or five," said Carlin.

Malaysian Sohman appeared to be on his way to taking the bronze medal, but the fall ended that dream. That caused reactions in his home country, where his brother immediately had to calm fans down after massive hatred towards Nakano and Carlin surfaced on the Internet. "I like to use my platform to remind each other that as athletes, we protect the good name of our beloved country, Malaysia, so that's why I also hope that the people who support us and watch us also protect the good name of our country."

"Whatever happens on the track, never consider it personal and emotional," Sohman said in a message to his fans. "We are a courteous country, so hopefully that will be reflected in this context," the heavily disappointed Asian said. "For me, the world seemed to stand still for a moment; I was stunned. It feels like all my hopes, pain, and hard work have been undone, so it was hard to rationalize the situation," he wrote on Monday.