{"id":368941,"date":"2026-07-20T02:06:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T20:36:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=368941"},"modified":"2026-07-20T02:06:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T20:36:30","slug":"olympian-50-dies-after-bike-crash-during-race-news-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/07\/20\/olympian-50-dies-after-bike-crash-during-race-news-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympian, 50, dies after bike crash during race | News World"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Toshiaki Fushimi made his debut within the Nineties (Picture: Getty Images\/Matsusaka Keirin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Certainly one of Japan\u2019s most successful cyclists has died aged 50.<\/p>\n

Toshiaki Fushimi was racing within the Matsusaka Keirin tournament in Matsusaka, a town in Mie Prefecture, when he crashed on Saturday. <\/p>\n

While making his way from the back of the pack, the Olympic\u00a0silver medallist was forced to swerve after riders ahead of him collided.<\/p>\n

He crashed into a security barrier and suffered fractures to his cervical vertebrae, the fragile a part of the spine within the neck, and skull.<\/p>\n

Fushimi was taken to hospital but died this morning at 10.15am, the Japan Keirin Autorace\u00a0Foundation (JKA), which governs the game, said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Speaking ahead of the race, Fushimi said he felt a \u2018strong determination\u2019 to make it to the S-class final of the Matsusaka Keirin.<\/p>\n

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The previous Olympic silver medallist (in black) lost control after riders ahead of him got into an accident (Picture: Matsusaka Keirin)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Fushimi won silver in 2004 (Picture: Getty Images Europe)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018The ultimate race might be a troublesome one,\u2019 he said in a YouTube video <\/a>posted by Matsusaka Keirin on Friday, after winning several races that day.<\/p>\n

\u2018But I just want to offer it my all in order that I even have no regrets.\u2019<\/p>\n

Fushimi, from Fukushima Prefecture, made his skilled keirin debut in 1995, occurring to win 619 of the two,423 races he competed in. <\/p>\n

He won the highest KEIRIN Grand Prix twice, in 2001 and 2007, and bagged five G1 titles.<\/p>\n

Fushimi represented Japan\u00a0on the 2004 Athens Olympics, winning a silver in the lads\u2019s team sprint with Tomohiro Nagatsuka and Masaki Inoue.<\/p>\n

After not racing for 4 years, Fushimi staged a comeback in May on the Hiratsuka G1 Japan Championship. <\/p>\n

Cyclists vow to \u2018work hard\u2019 in honour of dead teammate<\/h2>\n
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Fushimi told tournament organisers that he desired to \u2018give it his all\u2019 (Picture: Matsusaka Keirin LIVE\/YouTube)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Keirin, Japanese for \u2018racing track\u2019, sees riders tailing behind a pacer\u00a0on a motorised electric bike who step by step quickens over three laps. <\/p>\n

Once there\u2019s just 700m or so left, the pacer leaves the track and the cyclists, called sprinters, then race as fast as they will to the finish line.<\/p>\n

JKA chairman Hiroshi Kido said: \u2018It is really heartbreaking that he lost his life in an accident during a race.<\/p>\n

\u2018We are going to reconfirm our safety measures and thoroughly ensure fair and protected races.\u2019<\/p>\n

Keirin racer Yudai Nitta told reporters<\/a> that he had called Fushimi\u00a0his friend since school and thought of him his mentor. <\/p>\n

He said: \u2018He was the one who taught me what it means to find a way to take part in the Olympics. <\/p>\n

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Fushimi, Masaki Inoue and Tomohiro Nagatsuka throughout the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. (Picture: Tim de Waele\/Corbis\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He also taught me the right way to behave when competing as a keirin racer.Fushimi was someone who all the time sought results.<\/p>\n

\u2018Those of us who’re left behind wish to respond by producing results. I believe that may make him blissful.\u2019<\/p>\n

While Nitta was nervous about Fushimi\u2019s fall, his death not being within the morning papers put him comfy. <\/p>\n

\u2018We were saying that even when he was injured, his life was not at risk,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018\u2026So after I heard [he had died] after the race, I used to be really shocked.\u2019<\/p>\n

Shoko Inoue, who raced with Fushimi\u00a0on Japan\u2019s national keirin team, said he had long looked as much as Fushimi.<\/p>\n

\u2018He was very serious and had a solid way of pondering, so there have been times after I was concerned about him,\u2019 he said on the press conference.<\/p>\n

\u2018All that we who’re left can do is figure hard, and we’ve no selection but to point out him that we are able to do this.\u2019<\/p>\n

Get in contact with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

For more stories like this, <\/strong>check our news page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Toshiaki Fushimi made his debut within the Nineties (Picture: Getty Images\/Matsusaka Keirin) Certainly one of Japan\u2019s most successful cyclists has died aged 50. Toshiaki Fushimi was racing within the Matsusaka Keirin tournament in Matsusaka, a town in Mie Prefecture, when he crashed on Saturday. While making his way from the back of the pack, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":368942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20691],"tags":[11011,4523,5319,395,7014,997,813],"class_list":["post-368941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-bike","tag-crash","tag-dies","tag-news","tag-olympian","tag-race","tag-world"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t