Paris Olympics 2024 Track Cycling: Keirin Explained

The Olympic Keirin brings together the world’s top sprinters in a thrilling and often dangerous event. It starts with riders being held by helpers, taking off from a standstill. An electric motorbike pacer then brings the pack of six or fewer riders up to speed. Before the start, riders draw lots to determine their position behind the pacer. Once the race begins, they must settle into this order.

For the first three laps, riders follow the pacer, gradually reaching speeds of up to 50kph. They must remain behind the pacer until it exits the track. After that, it’s every rider for themselves, using a mix of strategy, positioning, and strength to cross the finish line first after another three laps. One of the Keirin’s most captivating aspects is its unpredictability. Anything can happen across the three rounds and the repechages leading to the gold medal final.

Keirin: A Cultural Phenomenon in Japan

In Japan, Keirin is immensely popular for betting, with millions of fans attending events and placing bets that tally into the billions of yen. Japanese Keirin riders undergo training at specific schools before racing professionally. Riders use brakeless fixed-gear bicycles, and races are typically 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long. The pacer can be a motorcycle, a derny, an electric bicycle, or a tandem bicycle, starting at 30 km/h (19 mph) and increasing to 50 km/h (31 mph) before leaving the track 750 m (820 yd) from the finish. The winner’s finishing speed can exceed 70 km/h (43 mph).

A Glimpse into History

The Keirin debuted at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, 20 years after becoming part of the UCI Track World Championships. Florian Rousseau of France was the first Olympic gold medallist. The British have dominated recent years, with Chris Hoy winning in Beijing and London, and Jason Kenny triumphing in Rio and Tokyo. The women’s event was introduced in 2012, with Victoria Pendleton taking gold in London. Dutch rider Elis Ligtlee caused an upset in Rio, winning over Becky James and Anna Meares. Shanne Braspennincx secured another gold for the Netherlands in Tokyo.

Keirin originated in Japan around 1948 for gambling purposes and became an official Olympic event in 2000. The sport has been a UCI men’s World Championship event since 1980 and a women’s event since 2002. Notable world champions include Matthijs Büchli of the Netherlands and Lee Wai Sze of Hong Kong, who were the 2019 champions.

Competition Format

The competition begins with 30 riders at the Olympics, spread across five heats of six riders each in the first round. The top two finishers from each heat automatically advance to Round 2, while the others enter the repechage heats. In the repechages, four heats of five riders each take place, with the top two from each moving on, making a total of 18 riders continuing and 12 being eliminated.

Round 2 sees safer play, with the top four riders from each of three heats moving on to Round 3, while six riders are eliminated. Round 3 determines who will race for the medals and who will compete for seventh through 12th place. The top three riders from the two heats in Round 3 advance to the medal round, where gold, silver, and bronze are decided.

Photo Credit: Vaughn Ridley/SWPIX.COM

Olympic Keirin Champions

Men’s Winner’s List

Women’s Winner’s List