On Friday, on the third last day of the Paris Olympics, Australian track cyclist Matthew Richardson went head-to-head with the king of sprinting. Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen is the reigning Olympic champion. He has won the past five consecutive world titles. He holds the world record for the flying 200m, the qualifying race in the individual sprint.
Lavreysen is the king of the velodrome, and Richardson has been one of his only challengers in recent years. The pair have gone head-to-head in the world championships, two years ago in this very velodrome, with Lavreysen emerging victorious. Richardson hit back, beating the Dutchman at a UCI Track Champions League meet in London late last year.
