Sprint, Men

For the first time since 1924, a nation could enter more than one rider in this event. This gave the Italians the two favorites in Sante Gaiardoni, 1960 World Champion, and Valentino Gasparella, the World Champion in 1958-59, who defeated Gaiardoni both times in the final. They had also won the last three Grand Prix de Paris, again Gasparella in 1958-59 and Gaiardoni in 1960. A long convoluted series of races determined the eight quarter-finalists, as the first round was followed by a repêchage, then repêchage finals, then a second round and another series of repêchages and repêchage finals. From the quarter-finals onward, the matches were best two of three races. Gaiardoni and Gasparella easily made the semis, where Gaiardoni met Australia’s Ron Baensch, defeating him in two straight races. In the other semi, Gasparella faced Belgian Léo Sterckx, who had lost the 1960 World Championship and Grand Prix de Paris finals to Gaiardoni. Gasparella won the first race, but Sterckx then defeated him in two straight to advance to another final against Gaiardoni. In the first race of the final, Gaiardoni put on a stunning surge on the final banking that gave him a runaway victory. Sterckx put up little opposition in the second race, and Gaiardoni became the only man to win the kilometer and the sprint at the Olympics, winning all eight of his races in the sprint. He would soon turn professional and won the World Sprint title in 1963, defeating sprint legend Antonio Maspes. Gaiardoni had a long sprint career as a professional, also placing second at the Worlds in 1962, 1969-70, and third in 1966. He was a runner-up three times to Maspes in the professional Grand Prix de Paris (1961, 1963-64). Gasparella also turned professional but had less success, his only major podium finish being second to Maspes at the 1962 Grand Prix de Paris.