Cycling Track at the 2000 Summer Olympics

There were several changes to the Olympic cycling program in 2000, all on the track. The women’s program added a fourth event – the 500 metre time trial added to the match sprint, individual pursuit, and points race. For men, three events were added. These were related to the addition of professional riders that had occurred at the 1996 Olympics, and were all events contested at the World Championships by professionals. The new events were the keirin, the Madison, and the Olympic sprint.

The keirin is one of the most exciting events in cycling because of the speeds. The event is a 2,000 metre paced event, in which the riders ride behind a motorized derny, which increases its speed each lap. The derny paces the riders for about 1,500 metres and then pulls off the track, at which time the cyclists begin a furious sprint to the finish. Keirin racing has traditionally been raced in Japan, where it has been a professional sport since the 1970s, and in which pari-mutuel betting on the riders is permitted.

The Madison is a mass-start team event with two riders per team. It is similar to a team points race, as points are awarded to the top finishers at the intermediate sprints and for the finishing sprint. Only one of the two team riders is actively racing at any one time, riding for a number of laps, and then exchanging with his partner, who is propelled into the pack by a hand sling from the cyclist leaving the racing.

The Olympic sprint is a team sprint event, somewhat similar to a shorter team pursuit, with each team consisting of three riders. Two teams compete against each other, starting on opposite sides of the track, with the goal being to catch the other team, or finish three laps of the track first. Each of the three riders leads their team for a single lap, and then drops off the track. The team time is that achieved when the final rider crosses the line.

Track cycling was held at the Dunc Gray Velodrome, an indoor wood track of 250.0 metres. The star of cycling in Sydney was Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel. Long one of the top riders in the world, she had battled personal demons, notably bouts of anorexia nervosa, but at the Sydney velodrome won the individual pursuit and silver in the points race. She also added two road gold medals in the road race and time trial.

France’s Félicia Ballanger won the women’s match sprint and 500 metre time trial, defending her gold medal in the match sprint. The German pursuit team of Guido Fulst, Robert Bartko, Daniel Becke, and Jens Lehmann won the gold medal, with Olaf Pollack riding in the heats, and in doing so, broke the 4-minute barrier in the final, recording 3:59.710. Notably, American Marty Nothstein won the match sprint. Long a top sprinter he became the first male USA track cycling gold medalist in a fully attended Olympics.