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Leontien van Moorsel

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File:Van moorsel.jpg
Leontien van Moorsel.
Leontien van Moorsel
Medal record
Representing the  Netherlands
Road bicycle racing
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Road race
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Time trial
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Time trial
Road World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1999 Time Trial
Gold medal – first place 1998 Time Trial
Gold medal – first place 1993 Road Race
Gold medal – first place 1991 Road Race
Silver medal – second place 1998 Road Race
Track cycling
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Individual pursuit
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Points race
Bronze medal – third place 2004 Athens Individual pursuit
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Stuttgart 3 km Pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2002 Copenhagen 3 km Pursuit
Gold medal – first place 2001 Antwerp 3 km Pursuit
Gold medal – first place 1990 Maebashi City 3 km Pursuit
Silver medal – second place 1998 Bordeaux 3 km Pursuit

Leontine Martha Henrica Petronella 'Leontien' van Moorsel (born March 22 1970 in Boekel) is a Dutch racing cyclist. She is also known under her married name, Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel.

Van Moorsel started her career in the late 1980s and was soon one of the best cyclists in the world. She won major races both on the track, and on the road. In the first half of the 1990s, she won the Tour Féminin twice, after fierce competition with Jeannie Longo.

Van Moorsel dropped out of cycling in 1994 with depression and anorexia nervosa. Together with Michael Zijlaard, whom she married in 1995, she overcame her ill health. She was selected to compete at the world championships in 1998. Here, her first major tournament for four years, she surprised by winning the time trial and coming second in the road race. Since then, she has won a number of world titles.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, van Moorsel was one of the most successful athletes. She won gold medals on the road (road race and time trial), and on the track (3km pursuit). At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was one of the favorites in the road race but she fell in the penultimate lap. Despite injury, she competed in the time trial three days later and successfully defended her title. With four gold, one silver, and a bronze Olympic medal, Leontien van Moorsel is one of the most successful Dutch athletes ever.

After her last race at the 2004 Olympics, the individual pursuit, van Moorsel retired from professional cycling.

Major results

1990
World champion 5km pursuit
World champion 50km team time trial
1991
World champion road race
1992
Tour Feminin
1993
World champion road race
Tour Feminin
1998
World champion time trial
1999
World champion time trial
2000
Olympic champion road race
Olympic champion time trial
Olympic champion 3km pursuit
Olympic silver medallist points race
2001
World champion 3km pursuit
2002
World champion 3km pursuit
2003
World champion 3km pursuit
World hour record: 46,06511 km
2004
Olympic champion time trial
Olympic bronze medallist 3km pursuit

Awards

Template:S-awards
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
1990
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
1993
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
1999
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
2000
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
2004
Succeeded by
Preceded by Rotterdam Sportswoman of the Year
19982000
Succeeded by
Preceded by Rotterdam Sportswoman of the Year
20022004
Succeeded by