Why did the Dutch Olympic team stand in circle around Lavreysen after his medal ceremony? "I almost passed out"

Harrie Lavreysen's hat trick is complete, and he has made sports history. The Dutchman won gold in the Keirin with overwhelming dominance on Sunday, after already claiming victory in the team sprint and the individual sprint tournament. This naturally led to immense joy for the Dutch team, not in the least for Lavreysen himself.

"A lot has happened," the Dutchman told NOS. After his medal ceremony, he seemed to have a moment of distress, which led the Dutch delegation to form a circle around him. What happened there? "You're incredibly happy, and during the ceremony, I got emotional, which doesn't happen often. It was also very warm. I almost passed out, but I'm back on my feet now. It's overwhelming," the three-time Olympic champion summed up the experience.

"It's a huge dream. To achieve it is indescribable," said Lavreysen, who also displayed his other medals during the Keirin ceremony. "We had to bring the medals for the photo, so I thought, why not show them on the podium. Now I had the chance to display them beautifully."

Lavreysen: "There was some very rough riding"

How did the final day unfold from his perspective? "I knew the draw was going to be super important. There was some very rough riding going on, which led to many nasty crashes," Lavreysen explained, noting that he got through the early rounds easily. "In the quarterfinals, I did a quick sprint and felt great. In the semifinals, I wanted nothing to do with those crashes, so I took the initiative myself."

"In the finale, I still felt very strong, but I also needed some luck with the draw. And I got that, with Carlin and Richardson behind me. After two laps, I started to ride at full speed. With one lap to go, I saw Richardson in the position I wanted him in, and then I went down just before that corner so I could pull away completely."

And now? "No idea," laughs the overjoyed Dutchman, from the province of Braband. "I've been focused on this since Tokyo. I've thought about everything. Before we came here, I made sure to rest. The pressure was incredibly high, but I knew I could look myself in the mirror." And you can do that for a long time to come, Harrie!

Video: Lavreysen lets it all sink in