Cycling at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's sprint

Men's sprint at the Games of the VII Olympiad
150px Maurice Peeters after winning the gold medal
Venue	Vélodrome d'Anvers Zuremborg
Date	9 August
Competitors	37 from 11 nations
Medalists
Maurice Peeters  Netherlands Horace Johnson  Great Britain Harry Ryan  Great Britain

Cycling at the 1920 Summer Olympics
Road cycling
Individual time trial		men
Team time trial		men
Track cycling
Sprint	men
Tandem	men
50 km	men
Team pursuit	men

The men's sprint event was part of the track cycling programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics.

One day before the Olympic tournament, Peeters had become amateur world champion in track cycling. One day later he rode the Olympic 1000 m sprint, and of course he was considered a favourite. He lost in the first round, but his second place was enough to progress to the next round. He then won the quarter final and the semi-final. In the final, he rode against two British cyclists, Harry Ryan and Tiny Johnson. They tried to make use of their numerical advantage, and Ryan attacked, so that Peeters had to get him back. In the final corner, Johnson should came around the corner to win the race, but Peeters was ahead and kept his lead.

Results

Heats

Heat 1

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Henri Bellivier (FRA)	13.2	Q
2	Christopher Dotterweich (USA)		Q
3	22x20px William Taylor (CAN)

Heat 2

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Anthony Young (USA)	13.2	Q
2	Maurice Peeters (NED)		Q
3	Pietro Martinelli (ITA)

Heat 3

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Thomas Lance (GBR)	13.2	Q
2	Binard (BEL)		Q
3	Jack King (AUS)

Heat 4

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Léonard Daghelinckx (BEL)	13.2	Q
2	22x20px Norman Webster (CAN)		Q
3	Tjabel Boonstra (NED)

Heat 5

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Harry Ryan (GBR)	13.2	Q
2	L'Empereur (BEL)		Q
3	Jean Majérus (LUX)

Heat 6

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Horace Johnson (GBR)	12.6	Q
2	Piet Ikelaar (NED)		Q
3	22x20px Sammy Goosen (RSA)

Heat 7

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	22x20px James Walker (RSA)	13.6	Q
2	Georges Paillard (FRA)		Q
3	Vittorio Cavalotti (ITA)

Heat 8

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Henry Andersen (DEN)	13.6	Q
2	22x20px George Thursfield (RSA)		Q
3	William Beck (USA)
4	22x20px Herbert McDonald (CAN)

Heat 9

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Charles Lanusse (FRA)	13.0	Q
2	Albert White (GBR)		Q
3	Axel Hansen (DEN)

Heat 10

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Fred Taylor (USA)	13.2	Q
2	Georges Perrin (FRA)		Q
3	Armido Rizzetto (ITA)

Heat 11

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	John Verhoeven (BEL)	13.2	Q
2	Franco Giorgetti (ITA)		Q
3	22x20px William Smith (RSA)

Heat 12

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Gerald Halpin (AUS)	12.6	Q
2	22x20px Harold Bounsall (CAN)		Q
3	Frans de Vreng (NED)

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal 1

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Fred Taylor (USA)	13.0	Q
2	Henri Bellivier (FRA)		r
3	22x20px Norman Webster (CAN)		r

Quarterfinal 2

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Gerald Halpin (AUS)	12.6	Q
2	Anthony Young (USA)		r
3	L'Empereur (BEL)		r

Quarterfinal 3

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	22x20px George Thursfield (RSA)	13.2	Q
2	Christopher Dotterweich (USA)		r
3	Thomas Lance (GBR)		r

Quarterfinal 4

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Maurice Peeters (NED)	13.2	Q
2	22x20px Harold Bounsall (CAN)		r
—	John Verhoeven (BEL)		r

Quarterfinal 5

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Horace Johnson (GBR)	11.8	Q
2	Charles Lanusse (FRA)		r
3	Piet Ikelaar (NED)		r

Quarterfinal 6

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	22x20px James Walker (RSA)	13.6	Q
2	Georges Perrin (FRA)		r
3	Léonard Daghelinckx (BEL)		r

Quarterfinal 7

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Albert White (GBR)	12.6	Q
2	Henry Andersen (DEN)		r
3	Georges Paillard (FRA)		r

Quarterfinal 8

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Harry Ryan (GBR)	12.8	Q
2	Franco Giorgetti (ITA)		r
3	Binard (BEL)		r

Repechage

Repechage semifinals

Semifinal 1

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Henri Bellivier (FRA)		R
2	L'Empereur (BEL)
3	22x20px Norman Webster (CAN)
—	Anthony Young (USA)	DQ

Semifinal 2

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Charles Lanusse (FRA)	13.0	R
2	Henry Andersen (DEN)
3	Georges Paillard (FRA)
4	Piet Ikelaar (NED)

Semifinal 3

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Georges Perrin (FRA)	12.8	R
2	Léonard Daghelinckx (BEL)
3	Binard (BEL)
—	Franco Giorgetti (ITA)	DNS

Semifinal 4

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	22x20px Harold Bounsall (CAN)	13.4	R
2	Christopher Dotterweich (USA)
3	John Verhoeven (BEL)
4	Thomas Lance (GBR)

Repechage final

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Pierre Lanousse (FRA)	13.0	Q
2	22x20px Harold Bounsall (CAN)
3	Georges Perrin (FRA)
4	Henri Bellivier (FRA)

Semifinals

Semifinal 1

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Horace Johnson (GBR)	14.8	Q
2	22x20px George Thursfield (RSA)	15.2
3	Albert White (GBR)	15.3

Semifinal 2

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Harry Ryan (GBR)	12.6	Q
2	Fred Taylor (USA)	15.2
3	Gerald Halpin (AUS)	15.2

Semifinal 3

Place	Cyclist	Time	Qual.
1	Maurice Peeters (NED)	12.6	Q
2	Pierre Lanousse (FRA)	15.2
3	22x20px James Walker (RSA)	15.2

Final

Place	Cyclist	Time
1	Maurice Peeters (NED)	13.0
2	Horace Johnson (GBR)	15.1
3	Harry Ryan (GBR)	15.1