Leontien van Moorsel facts for kids

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Leontien van Moorsel

Leontien van Moorsel in 1991
Personal information
Full name	Leontien Martha Henrica Petronella Zijlaard-van Moorsel
Born	(1970-03-22) 22 March 1970 (age 55) Boekel, Netherlands
Team information
Discipline	Road & track
Role	Rider
Major wins
Stage races Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale (1992, 1993) Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (1991) Emakumeen Bira (2000) Trophée d'Or Féminin (2000) One day races & classics Olympic Road Champion (2000) Olympic Time Trial Champion (2000, 2004) World Road Champion (1991, 1993) World Time Trial Champion (1998, 1999) National Road Champion (1998–2000, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999) National Time Trial Champion (1997, 1998–2002)

Leontien Martha Henrica Petronella Zijlaard-van Moorsel (born 22 March 1970) is a famous Dutch retired racing cyclist. She was one of the best cyclists in the 1990s and early 2000s. She won four gold medals at the Olympic Games. She also held the hour record for women for many years.

Leontien van Moorsel's Cycling Career

Leontien van Moorsel at the 2018 Women's Amstel Gold Race.

Leontien van Moorsel started her cycling journey in 1977. She became very good at both track cycling and road cycling. In the early 1990s, she won the Tour Féminin twice. This was a big cycling race for women.

In 1994, van Moorsel took a break from cycling due to health challenges. But she worked hard to get better. She returned to compete at the World Championships in 1998. There, she won the time trial race and came second in the road race. This showed her amazing comeback.

Olympic Success

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, van Moorsel was incredible. She won three gold medals:

• Road race
• Time trial (on the road)
• 3 km pursuit (on the track)

She also won a silver medal in the points race on the track.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, she had a fall during the road race. Even after this, she bravely competed two days later. She successfully defended her time trial title, winning another gold medal. She also won a bronze medal in the individual pursuit.

Hour Record and Retirement

In 2003, van Moorsel set a new hour record for women. She rode 46.065 kilometers in one hour in Mexico City. This record stood for almost 12 years.

After the 2004 Olympics, Leontien van Moorsel retired from professional cycling. In 2017, she became a director for the Women's Amstel Gold Race.

Major Achievements and Awards

Leontien van Moorsel won many important races and championships throughout her career. Here are some of her biggest achievements:

World Championships

• Road Race: Gold in 1991 and 1993.
• Time Trial: Gold in 1998 and 1999.
• Individual Pursuit (Track): Gold in 1990, 2001, 2002, and 2003.

Olympic Medals

• Gold:
  • 2000 Sydney: Road Race, Time Trial, Individual Pursuit
  • 2004 Athens: Time Trial
• Silver:
  • 2000 Sydney: Points Race
• Bronze:
  • 2004 Athens: Individual Pursuit

Other Key Wins

• Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale: Overall winner in 1992 and 1993.
• Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin: Overall winner in 1991.
• National Championships (Netherlands):
  • Road Race: Many times, including 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2004.
  • Time Trial: Many times, including 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.
  • Individual Pursuit (Track): Many times, including 1992, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002.

Personal Life

Leontien van Moorsel married Michael Zijlaard in October 1995. Michael was also a track cyclist. They have one daughter together.

See also

In Spanish: Leontien van Moorsel para niños

• List of Dutch Olympic cyclists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games