# Cycling at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's sprint

The men's sprint cycling event at the 1988 Summer Olympics took place from 21 to 24 September and was one of the nine cycling events at the 1988 Olympics. There were 25 competitors from 25 nations. After the 1984 Games had featured a humongously bloated 34-cyclist, 11-round, 63-match competition, the competition size was cut down by restricting nations to one cyclist yet again (the rule in place from 1928 to 1956 and in 1976 and 1980) and instituting a qualifying round: this reduced the format to 25 cyclists, 8 rounds (including the qualifying round), and 29 matches (not included the time trials in the qualifying round). The event was won by Lutz Heßlich of East Germany, the 1980 gold medalist who was unable to compete in 1984 due to the Soviet-led boycott. Soviet cyclist Nikolai Kovsh took silver, the best result to date for the Soviets. Gary Neiwand of Australia earned bronze; for the Australians, it was the first medal in the event since 1972.

## Background

This was the 19th appearance of the event, which has been held at every Summer Olympics except 1904 and 1912. None of the quarterfinalists from 1984 returned. The East German team was in the height of its dominance of the event, rising in the 1970s, peaking in the late 1980s, and continuing into the 1990s. The last nine medalists at the World Championships (gold, silver, and bronze in 1985, 1986, and 1987) had all been East German. Lutz Heßlich had won in 1985 and 1987 and finished second in 1986; he had also won the Olympic gold medal in 1980 (not competed in 1984 due to the Soviet-led boycott). When he was chosen to represent East Germany, he was an overwhelming favorite—everyone who had challenged him in the last few years was unable to compete due to the one-cyclist-per-nation rule that had been resurrected after the 1984 Games had allowed two per nation.
Bolivia and Ecuador each made their debut in the men's sprint. France made its 19th appearance, the only nation to have competed at every appearance of the event.

## Competition format

This sprint competition involved a series of head-to-head matches along with the new qualifying round of time trials. There were five main match rounds, with two repechages. Only one-round repechages were used.
* Qualifying round: Each of the 25 competitors completed a 200 metre flying time trial (reaching full speed before timing started for the last 200 metres). The top 24 advanced to the match rounds, seeded based on their time in the qualifying round. With 25 riders starting, only the slowest cyclist was eliminated.
* Round 1: The 24 cyclists were seeded into 8 heats of 3 cyclists each. The winner of each heat advanced to the 1/8 finals (8 cyclists) while the other two cyclists went to the first repechage (16 cyclists).
* First repechage: The 16 cyclists were divided into 4 heats, each with 4 cyclists. The winner of each heat advanced to the 1/8 finals (4 cyclists), with all others eliminated (12 cyclists).
* 1/8 finals: The 12 remaining cyclists competed in a 1/8 finals round. There were 4 heats in this round, with 3 cyclists in each. The top cyclist in each heat advanced to the quarterfinals (4 cyclists), while the remaining two in each heat went to the second repechage (8 cyclists).
* Second repechage: This round featured 4 heats, with 2 cyclists each. The winner of each heat advanced to the quarterfinals (4 cyclists); the losers were eliminated (4 cyclists).
* Quarterfinals: Beginning with the quarterfinals, all matches were one-on-one competitions and were held in best-of-three format. There were 4 quarterfinals, with the winner of each advancing to the semifinals and the loser going to the fifth-eighth classification race.
* Semifinals: The two semifinals provided for advancement to the gold medal final for winners and to the bronze medal final for losers.
* Finals: Both a gold medal final and a bronze medal final were held, as well as a classification final for fifth through eighth places for quarterfinal losers.

## Records

The records for the sprint are 200 metre flying time trial records, kept for the qualifying round in later Games as well as for the finish of races.
| World record | Michael Huebner (GDR) | 10.118 | Colorado Springs, United States | 27 August 1986 |
| Olympic record | Sergei Kopylov (URS) | 10.47 | Moscow, Soviet Union | 26 July 1980 |
Lutz Heßlich set a new record with 10.395 seconds in the qualifying round.

## Schedule

All times are Korea Standard Time adjusted for daylight savings (UTC+10)
| Date | Time | Round |
| Wednesday, 21 September 1988 | 10:00 13:00 15:55 | Qualifying round Round 1 First repechage |
| Thursday, 22 September 1988 | 10:00 11:40 17:00 | 1/8 finals Second repechage Quarterfinals |
| Friday, 23 September 1988 | 20:10 20:30 | Semifinals Classification 5–8 |
| Saturday, 24 September 1988 | 17:15 | Bronze medal match Final |

## Results
### Qualifying round

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Lutz Heßlich | East Germany | 10.395 | Q, OR |
| 2 | Gary Neiwand | Australia | 10.563 | Q |
| 3 | Nikolai Kovsh | Soviet Union | 10.595 | Q |
| 4 | Vratislav Šustr | Czechoslovakia | 10.704 | Q |
| 5 | Ken Carpenter | United States | 10.792 | Q |
| 6 | Fabrice Colas | France | 10.857 | Q |
| 7 | Frank Weber | West Germany | 10.919 | Q |
| 8 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | 10.930 | Q |
| 9 | José Manuel Moreno | Spain | 10.931 | Q |
| 10 | Erik Schoefs | Belgium | 11.032 | Q |
| 11 | Hideki Miwa | Japan | 11.063 | Q |
| 12 | Andrea Faccini | Italy | 11.073 | Q |
| 13 | Curt Harnett | Canada | 11.144 | Q |
| 14 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | 11.171 | Q |
| 15 | Gustavo Faris | Argentina | 11.187 | Q |
| 16 | Rosman Alwi | Malaysia | 11.204 | Q |
| 17 | Eom Yeong-seop | South Korea | 11.222 | Q |
| 18 | Mario Pons | Ecuador | 11.339 | Q |
| 19 | Lee Fu-hsiang | Chinese Taipei | 11.475 | Q |
| 20 | Paul Réneau | Belize | 11.732 | Q |
| 21 | Colin Abrams | Guyana | 11.815 | Q |
| 22 | Vincent Lynch | Barbados | 11.845 | Q |
| 23 | Michele Smith | Cayman Islands | 12.055 | Q |
| 24 | Bailón Becerra | Bolivia | 12.216 | Q |
| 25 | Ira Fabian | Antigua and Barbuda | 12.817 | |

### Round 1
#### Heat 1

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Lutz Heßlich | East Germany | 11.25 | Q |
| 2 | Eom Yeong-seop | South Korea | | R |
| 3 | Rosman Alwi | Malaysia | | R |

#### Heat 2

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Gary Neiwand | Australia | 11.19 | Q |
| 2 | Mario Pons | Ecuador | | R |
| 3 | Gustavo Faris | Argentina | | R |

#### Heat 3

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Nikolai Kovsh | Soviet Union | 11.26 | Q |
| 2 | Lee Fu-hsiang | Chinese Taipei | | R |
| 3 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | | R |

#### Heat 4

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Vratislav Šustr | Czechoslovakia | 11.21 | Q |
| 2 | Curt Harnett | Canada | | R |
| 3 | Paul Réneau | Belize | | R |

#### Heat 5

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Andrea Faccini | Italy | 11,74 | Q |
| 2 | Ken Carpenter | United States | | R |
| 3 | Colin Abrams | Guyana | | R |

#### Heat 6

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Fabrice Colas | France | 10.77 | Q |
| 2 | Hideki Miwa | Japan | | R |
| 3 | Vincent Lynch | Barbados | | R |

#### Heat 7

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Erik Schoefs | Belgium | 11.34 | Q |
| 2 | Frank Weber | West Germany | | R |
| 3 | Michele Smith | Cayman Islands | | R |

#### Heat 8

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | 11.40 | Q |
| 2 | José Manuel Moreno | Spain | | R |
| 3 | Bailón Becerra | Bolivia | | R |

### First repêchage
#### First repechage heat 1

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | 12.11 | Q |
| 2 | Gustavo Faris | Argentina | | |
| 3 | Eom Yeong-seop | South Korea | | |
| 4 | José Manuel Moreno | Spain | | |

#### First repechage heat 2

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Frank Weber | West Germany | 11.55 | Q |
| 2 | Mario Pons | Ecuador | | |
| 3 | Bailón Becerra | Bolivia | | |
| 4 | Colin Abrams | Guyana | | |

#### First repechage heat 3

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Hideki Miwa | Japan | 11.56 | Q |
| 2 | Lee Fu-hsiang | Chinese Taipei | | |
| 3 | Paul Réneau | Belize | | |
| 4 | Michele Smith | Cayman Islands | | |

#### First repechage heat 4

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Curt Harnett | Canada | 11.26 | Q |
| 2 | Ken Carpenter | United States | | |
| 3 | Rosman Alwi | Malaysia | | |
| 4 | Vincent Lynch | Barbados | | |

### 1/8 finals
#### 1/8 final 1

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Lutz Heßlich | East Germany | 11.04 | Q |
| 2 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | | R |
| 3 | Hideki Miwa | Japan | | R |

#### 1/8 final 2

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Erik Schoefs | Belgium | 11.27 | Q |
| 2 | Curt Harnett | Canada | | R |
| 3 | Gary Neiwand | Australia | | R |

#### 1/8 final 3

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Nikolai Kovsh | Soviet Union | 11.10 | Q |
| 2 | Fabrice Colas | France | | R |
| 3 | Frank Weber | West Germany | | R |

#### 1/8 final 4

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Vratislav Šustr | Czechoslovakia | 11.13 | Q |
| 2 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | | R |
| 3 | Andrea Faccini | Italy | | R |

### Second repêchage
#### Second repechage heat 1

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | 11.32 | Q |
| 2 | Andrea Faccini | Italy | | |

#### Second repechage heat 2

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Frank Weber | West Germany | 11.39 | Q |
| 2 | Curt Harnett | Canada | | |

#### Second repechage heat 3

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Gary Neiwand | Australia | 11.57 | Q |
| 2 | Fabrice Colas | France | | |

#### Second repechage heat 4

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m | Notes |
| 1 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | 11.31 | Q |
| 2 | Hideki Miwa | Japan | | |

### Quarterfinals
#### Quarterfinal 1

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Notes |
| 1 | Lutz Heßlich | East Germany | 10.60 | 11.50 | — | Q |
| 2 | Frank Weber | West Germany | | | — | C |

#### Quarterfinal 2

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Notes |
| 1 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | | 11.81 | 10.79 | Q |
| 2 | Erik Schoefs | Belgium | 10.96 | | | C |

#### Quarterfinal 3

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Notes |
| 1 | Nikolai Kovsh | Soviet Union | 11.77 | 11.05 | — | Q |
| 2 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | | | — | C |

#### Quarterfinal 4

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Notes |
| 1 | Gary Neiwand | Australia | 10.92 | 11.37 | — | Q |
| 2 | Vratislav Šustr | Czechoslovakia | | | — | C |

### Semifinals
#### Semifinal 1

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Notes |
| 1 | Lutz Heßlich | East Germany | 11.12 | 10.64 | — | Q |
| 2 | Gary Neiwand | Australia | | | — | B |

#### Semifinal 2

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Notes |
| 1 | Nikolai Kovsh | Soviet Union | 11.09 | 11.90 | — | Q |
| 2 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | | | — | B |

### Finals
#### Classification 5–8

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Time 200 m |
| 5 | Vratislav Šustr | Czechoslovakia | 11.34 |
| 6 | Erik Schoefs | Belgium | |
| 7 | Frank Weber | West Germany | |
| 8 | Maxwell Cheeseman | Trinidad and Tobago | |

#### Bronze medal match

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 |
| | Gary Neiwand | Australia | 10.97 | 10.88 | — |
| 4 | Eddie Alexander | Great Britain | | | — |

#### Final

| Rank | Cyclist | Nation | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 |
| | Lutz Heßlich | East Germany | 13.98 | 11.82 | — |
| | Nikolai Kovsh | Soviet Union | | | — |