Tuesday, July 21, 2026 -Japanese Olympic silver medallist and former Keirin Grand Prix champion Toshiaki Fushimi has died at the age of 50 after crashing during a race at the Matsusaka Keirin tournament in Mie Prefecture.
Fushimi sustained fatal injuries on Saturday after losing
control while attempting to move through the field during the race. According
to the Japan Keirin Autorace Foundation (JKA), he swerved to avoid riders who
had collided ahead of him before crashing into a safety barrier.
He suffered fractures to his cervical vertebrae and skull
and was rushed to hospital, where he died at 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, the JKA
confirmed. Ahead of the race, Fushimi had spoken of his determination to reach
the S-class final of the Matsusaka Keirin tournament.
"The final race will be a tough one, but I just want to
give it my all so that I have no regrets," he said in a video released by
the tournament organisers on Friday, July 17. Fushimi made his professional
keirin debut in 1995 and went on to establish himself as one of Japan's most
accomplished riders. He recorded 619 victories from 2,423 races during his
career.
He won the prestigious Keirin Grand Prix twice, in 2001 and
2007, and also claimed five G1 titles. Internationally, Fushimi represented
Japan at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal in the
men's team sprint alongside Tomohiro Nagatsuka and Masaki Inoue.
After a four-year absence from competition, he returned to
racing in May at the Hiratsuka G1 Japan Championship. Reacting to his death,
JKA chairman Hiroshi Kido described the incident as heartbreaking and pledged
to strengthen safety measures in the sport.
"It is truly heartbreaking that he lost his life in an
accident during a race. We will reconfirm our safety measures and thoroughly
ensure fair and safe races," Kido said. Fellow cyclist Yudai Nitta, who
described Fushimi as both a friend and mentor, said the late rider had inspired
him throughout his career.
"He was the one who taught me what it means to be able
to participate in the Olympics. He also taught me how to behave when competing
as a keirin racer. Fushimi was someone who always sought results," Nitta
said. "Those of us who are left behind want to respond by producing
results. I think that would make him happy."
Another national team rider, Shoko Inoue, paid tribute to
Fushimi, describing him as a disciplined athlete whom many younger cyclists
admired. "All that we who are left can do is work hard, and we have no
choice but to show him that we can do that," he said.
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