Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
Japan's Keirin cycling phenomenon
Up next
October 7, 2021
10 minutes
Available for over a year
In the year 2000, the Japanese track cycling sport of Keirin made its Olympic debut at the Sydney Games. Wildly popular in Japan, Keirin races begin with the cyclists following a motorized pacer, who gradually cranks up the speed until the riders are released into a final frenetic sprint. Ashley Byrne talks to former Japanese cyclist, Shinichi Ota, about trying to win the first gold medal in the sport his country invented. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production.
PHOTO: A Keirin race at the 2016 Olympics (Getty Images)