National coach Kenny De Ketele on Shari Bossuyt's case: "I speak on behalf of the Belgian team when I say that everyone believes in her"

Shari Bossuyt's suspension came as a shock to Kenny De Ketele. The track cycling national coach saw Belgium's best chance for an Olympic medal with madison duo Kopecky/Bossuyt go up in smoke, but initially immediately tried to encourage his rider.

"You felt it coming somewhere, but it was still a huge blow to take," De Ketele told Sporza. The Belgian national coach is sad, but backs his rider despite the verdict. "I speak on behalf of the Belgian team when I say that everyone believes in her."

"We hope that she will not lose heart and we will be more than happy to welcome her back when all the shit is over. I have already seen that all the girls in our team - and of course her family - will and want to guide her thorugh this well."

"She was indeed our best chance for a medal in Paris," De Ketele mourns his Olympic ambitions. "We all suffer from it, but it is especially difficult for herself and Lotte to process."