Leo PEELEN

Track cyclist Leo Peelen specialized in endurance, and had won medals and titles at various junior levels before becoming a senior. He had failed to qualify directly for the Seoul points race - his best event - but was able to compete anyway due to being entered in the Dutch team pursuit squad. In that 1988 Olympic points race, he and Dan Frost lapped the field, setting them up for the podium, with Peelen taking the silver medal behind the Dane. In 1989, Peelen would win a second international medal, placing third in the points race at the World Championships. Retiring from the sport in 1991, he remained involved in cycling, as a mental coach and an official with the Dutch cycling federation. At age 48, he was suddenly found dead in the halls of the indoor track of Apeldoorn, shortly after participating in a track cycling clinic.