from michiko: "my people have paved the way for me to go to london and its greater region of fancy euro cities in 4 years."
and all i have to say is: that was the best spent $3mil in cycling promotion to date! now let's throw in another $3mil and get the women's keirin next!
also pretty ironic that BBC "uncovered" this issue...considering it is a brit that is a favorite in this event....
from cyclingnews:
Did keirin bribe its way into the Olympics?
Keirin has been part of the Olympic Games since 1996. Documents given to the BBC suggest that $3m (£1.5m) was paid by organisers of a Japanese cycling event to the Cycliste Internationale (UCI) - the world cycling body.
According to the BBC then-president Hein Verbruggen denied any wrong doing.
The payments were allegedly made in the 1990s. The event was supported for inclusion into the Games by the UCI, and admitted in 1996.
Keirin is a big event in Japan and also involved a lot of money. Fans can bet on the riders like in horse racing.
In the 1980s keirin was added to the world track championships organised by the UCI. Set to be dropped from the Worlds after the 1992, keirin celebrated a remarkable turnaround. Four years later it was part of the Olympics.
With Japan having a lot of money from the money making keirin events, there is some question about how much influence Japanese officials took on the UCI.
Cyclingnews will have more on the story as it unfolds.
BBC Article
Velonews Article
UCI Press Release
5 comments:
If true, the irony is that Japanese riders are a non-factor in UCI Elite and Olympic Keirin competions. And since the top guys can make megabucks racing in Japan, do they care?
In 2012 Michiko will lead her country back to its rightful place in the world of international keirin. Then we can say we knew her way back when she was racing for Team Single and Available.
i have started my four-year mission to bring keirin to its rightful place. i have been and will continue to correct every misspelled and mispronounced keirin in the ncnca district.
"Kay-rin" is a bike race!
Kieran is a fast guy from Oakland.
"Kir-in" is a beer that your friend gives you to wash down chocolate donuts after hard training. (hint: 7/29)
and
keiren (as most recently seen on Gio's blog) is a muscle cramp and spasm.
key-rings are great.
whatever the price!
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