Yamasaki dedicates keirin title to all his supporters

Kento Yamasaki won Japan's first world title in the men's keirin since 1987 as record-chasing Olympic gold medallist Harrie Lavreysen was eliminated in the semi-finals.

“I still can't believe I won,” Yamasaki said. “I'm really happy I could produce this result for all the people who've supported me.”

It was one of two golds for Japan on the second night of the world track championships in Ballerup, Denmark, as Kazushige Kuboki then dominated the scratch race, a non-Olympic event.

Even though keirin was invented in Japan, the country's only title in either men or women's races at the world championships or Olympics was collected by Harumi Honda in Vienna 37 years ago.

On Oct 17, Yamasaki brought the gold home when he outsprinted Israel's Mikhail Yakovlev and Colombia's reigning champion Kevin Quintero in the final.