Lifestyle: In this country everyone should be familiar with the Olympic variant of the keirin. With the Olympic silver medalist Maximilian Levy, Kristina Vogel and many others, the German team is actually quite well positioned. But the combat sprint, as known by the UCI World Cycling Association in its rules, is only an adaptation of the original variant.
Keirin was born in Japan after World War II, specifically on Kyûshû, one of the country's four main islands. Since then, the sport, which is also a lifestyle in Japan, has developed enormously. There are now several schools and numerous railways spread across the country.
More than 1000 applicants register with the various schools each year – for just under 30 places. Two top German athletes, Miriam Welte and Stefan Bötticher, are currently experiencing what it means to ride Keirin in Japan. Bötticher reports on his experiences in an exclusive blog on Velomotion. [ Link ] However, they won't be competing against the top Japanese athletes. Those athletes live in a somewhat different world.
In Japan, Keirin racing is an integral part of the sports betting world, generating over €7 billion in annual betting revenue. It's easy to see how this has shaped the sport. "If only the strongest could win ," some argue, "it wouldn't make any sense in terms of the game, or rather, the betting." Nevertheless, the athletes must train hard. "For us, it's a tough sport, even though the competitions are often open and there are alliances between the riders."
This documentary, created in collaboration with the Japan Keirin Association , provides an insight into the world of the game , of which Keirin is a part in Japan.