Harrie Lavreysen won his third gold of the Paris Olympics, adding keirin glory to his earlier team and individual sprint wins.

Lavreysen started second in line behind Japan’s Shinji Nakano, with his main rival Matthew Richardson at the back.

Matthew Glaetzer was first to attack, passing Lavreysen and Nakano to take the lead. Lavreysen responded out of corner two with a lap and a half left, and Richardson still stuck at the back. But the Australian was alert to the danger, finding a gap between Sahrom and Carlin, putting him on the Dutchman’s wheel as he made his way to the front.

Richardson made a valiant effort to come over the top into the home straight, but there was just no beating Lavreysen this week.

There was another crash behind in the battle for bronze. Nakano held the sprinters lane, with Sahrom just the other side of the red line. Both riders were at full gas. There was contact, sending both riders up the track, causing Carlin first, then Nakano, then finally Sahrom to hit the floor.

Sahrom was held responsible for the crash by the commissaires. He was relegated to sixth for ‘moving towards the inside of the track when an opponent was already there’ – although the camera on Richardson’s saddle showed he never actually crossed the red line into the sprinters lane. Malaysian fans certainly won’t like that decision, after the disqualification of their hero Awang in the first round.

Australia’s Glaetzer, sitting in sixth, came through on the inside below the carnage to claim the bronze.