The 2016 Olympics have just finished with a slew of medals all round…
One of the most exciting races is one of the Track Cycling – The Keirin.
The Keirin is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorised or electric pacer.
It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gambling purposes and became an official event at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
Riders use single fixed-gear bicycles with no brakes.
Races are typically 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long: 6 laps on a 250 m (270 yd) track, 4 laps on a 333 m (364 yd) track, or 4 laps on a 400 m (440 yd) track.
Lots are drawn to determine starting positions for the sprint riders behind the pacer, which is usually a motorcycle, but can be a derny, electric bicycle or tandem bicycle.
Riders must remain behind the pacer for 3 laps on a 250 m (270 yd) track.
The pacer starts at 30 km/h (19 mph), gradually increasing to 50 km/h (31 mph) by its final circuit. The pacer leaves the track 750 m (820 yd) before the end of the race (3 laps on a 250 m (270 yd) track).
The winner’s finishing speed can exceed 70 km/h (43 mph).
Competition keirin races are conducted over several rounds with one final. Some eliminated cyclists can try again in the repechages.
There were huge problems trying to built the Rio Velodrome… at one stage it looked very likely that the track would not be laid by the time the Olympics started.
In the event, it was completed, and handed over to the Olympic cyclists who were allowed access on 24 July, two weeks prior to the start of the games.
The Rio Olympics Keirin Races were held from Tuesday 16 August and consisted of 5.5 laps of the track behind a motorcycle, followed by a 2.5 lap sprint to the finish.
The tournament consisted of preliminary heats and repechages, a semi-final round, and the finals.
The heats and repechages narrowed the field to 12.
The semi-finals divided the remaining 12 into six finalists. The finals round also included a ranking race for 7th to 12th place.
Jason Kenny won the final following on from Chris Hoy who had won the Keirin in the previous 2012 and the 2008 Games.
The women’s Keirin was won by Elis Ligtlee (Netherlands), with Becky James (GBR) coming in second place.