Keirin, Men

This was the Olympic début of keirin but it was considered a popular event at the World Championships. Keirin is one of the most exciting events in cycling because of the speeds. The event is a 2,000 metre paced event, in which the riders ride behind a motorized derny, which increases the potential speeds. The derny paces the riders for about 1,500 metres and then pulls off the track, at which time the cyclists begin a furious sprint to the finish. Keirin racing has traditionally been raced in Japan, where it has been a professional sport for over 20 years, and in which pari-mutuel betting on the riders is permitted.

The last few World Championships had been split among Jens Fiedler (GER), Marty Nothstein (USA), and Frédéric Magné (FRA). All three made it to the final, where they were joined by top sprinters Florian Rousseau (FRA), Gary Neiwand (AUS), and Jan van Eijden (GER). When the derny pulled away, Fiedler jumped the field, but Neiwand took the lead on the last lap, only to be passed by Rousseau for the gold medal just before the line.