Keirin

Keirin is a track cycling event in which racing cyclists sprint for victory. Unlike the conventional track sprint discipline where riders seek to 'draft' or 'slipstream' each other, in the first few laps of the Keirin, cyclists are paced by a motorised vehicle called a derny, which leaves the track a few laps before the end, at a speed of about 50 km/h. The first cyclist to finish the high-speed (sometimes at 70 km/h) race is the winner.

In championships, this event is conducted in several rounds. Eliminated cyclists get the opportunity try again in the repercharges.

Keirin began in 1948 in Japan, and has become very popular there as a professional sport upon which the Japanese can bet on the outcomes of the races. In spite of its popularity, Japanese cyclists do not usually feature in the medal contenders for this event at international championships.

Aspiring Keirin racers compete for entrance into Japan Keirin School. The 10 per cent of applicants fortunate enough to be accepted then undergo a strict, 15-hours per day, training regime. Those who pass the graduation exams, and are approved by the Japan Keirin Association become eligible for Keirin races.

Keirin racing became an event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in 2000 at Sydney, Australia.