Keirin powerhouse Harrie pulls off hat trick: Lavreysen takes all the prizes after finale with heavy crash

Will Harrie complete his hat trick? That was the main question on the final day of the track cycling tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games. On Sunday afternoon, Harrie Lavreysen answered that question with a resounding yes. Harrie's hat trick is complete!

The event began at 11:30 AM with the quarterfinals, where British rider Jack Carlin — who had been Hoogland's tormentor during the bronze medal match — took the victory in the first heat. Israeli Mikhail Yakovlev, considered one of the outsiders for the title, was already eliminated in that round and quietly left Paris after a disappointing week.

Lavreysen's turn came in the second heat. The Dutchman took matters into his own hands as he entered the final lap and expertly finished the race. Then it was Hoogland's turn, who faced title favorite Matthew Richardson in his strong heat. The Dutchman left a gap after a few laps and could not close it in the end, as he was trapped on the inside.

World champion Kevin Quintero was also eliminated in that quarterfinal, which in a way was good news for Lavreysen's medal chances. He saw several outsiders drop out at once and could prepare for the next round of the keirin tournament on the track.

Richardson defeats Lavreysen in the semifinals

At 12:30 PM, the semifinals followed. Carlin, Matthew Glaetzer and Shinji Nakano secured their places in the final from the first heat. Then it was Lavreysen's turn, who once again faced Richardson. The Aussie took the lead behind the derny, but Lavreysen made his move with three laps to go. Richardson then surged ahead in the final lap, while Turnbull and Spiegel crashed hard behind him, sadly ending their Olympic tournaments with a nasty crash.

A little later, it was time for the grand finale, with six top riders on the track near Paris. Lavreysen faced the two Aussies, Malaysian Sahrom, Brit Carlin and Japanese Nakano. Nakano took the lead behind the derny, with Lavreysen in second position.

The Dutchman remained focused and left the strategizing to the Australians, then took Glaetzer's wheel and powered past him in the final lap. Richardson took the Dutchman's wheel but couldn't overtake him. Behind them, Carlin, Sahrom and Nakano crashed hard.

Video: Lavreysen completes hat trick at Olympics