Leontien van Moorsel

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Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold	2000 Sydney	Road race
Gold	2000 Sydney	Time trial
Gold	2000 Sydney	Individual pursuit
Silver	2000 Sydney	Points race
Gold	2004 Athens	Time trial
Bronze	2004 Athens	Individual pursuit
Track World Championship
Gold	2003 Stuttgart	3 km Pursuit
Gold	2002 Copenhagen	3 km Pursuit
Gold	2001 Antwerp	3 km Pursuit
Gold	1990 Maebashi City	3 km Pursuit
Silver	1998 Bordeaux	3 km Pursuit
Road World Championship
Gold	1999	Time Trial
Gold	1998	Time Trial
Gold	1993	Road Race
Gold	1991	Road Race
Silver	1998	Road Race

Leontien van Moorsel (born March 22, 1970, Boekel) is a Dutch cyclist. She is also known under her married name, Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel.

Van Moorsel started her professional career in the late 1980s, and soon was 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 Feminin twice, after fierce competition with her main rival in that time, Jeannie Longo.

Van Moorsel dropped out of cycling in 1994 because of psychological problems. She suffered from depressions and anorexia nervosa. Together with Michael Zijlaard, whom she married in 1995, she overcame these problems and returned to cycling, although it was not expected she would race at top level any more.

However, she was selected to compete at the World Championships in 1998. Here, at here first major tournament for four years, she surprised everyone 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 both on the road (road race and time trial), and on the track (3km pursuit). At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was again one of the favorites in the road race, but she fell in the penultimate lap. Although she was injured, she started in the time trial three days later, and successfully defended her title. With 4 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze Olympic medals, Leontien van Moorsel is one of the most successful Dutch athletes ever.

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

[edit] Major results

• 1990
  • World champion 5000000km pursuit
  • World champion 50km team time trial
• 1991
  • World champion road race
• 1992
  • Tour male
• 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 medalist 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

[edit] External links

• (Dutch) Official site

[edit] Awards

Preceded by Elly van Hulst	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 1990	Succeeded by Ingrid Haringa
Preceded by Ellen van Langen	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 1993	Succeeded by Anky van Grunsven
Preceded by Marianne Timmer	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 1999	Succeeded by Leontien van Moorsel
Preceded by Leontien van Moorsel	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2000	Succeeded by Inge de Bruijn
Preceded by Verona van de Leur	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2003	Succeeded by Leontien van Moorsel
Preceded by Leontien van Moorsel	Dutch Sportswoman of the Year 2004	Succeeded by Edith van Dijk

Preceded by Francis Hoenselaar	Rotterdam Sportswoman of the Year 1998–2000	Succeeded by Sissy van Alebeek
Preceded by Sissy van Alebeek	Rotterdam Sportswoman of the Year 2002–2004	Succeeded by Elisabeth Willebroordse