Did Japanese Cycling Event Buy Its Way Into Olympic Games?
A BBC article suggests that a fast-paced Japanese cycling sports called the keirin may have bought its way into the Olympic Games.
The payments were allegedly made in the 1990s. The sport, called the keirin, was supported for inclusion into the Games by the UCI, and admitted in 1996.
The UCI and its president at the time, Hein Verbruggen, deny any wrongdoing.
The keirin is a rapid and exciting track cycling event an event where riders are initially paced around a track by a motorcycle before sprinting for the line.
It is big business in its country of origin, Japan, commanding tens of millions of dollars in gambling revenue every year.
But despite its financial clout, the one thing keirin has always lacked is an international profile.
Wikipedia's entry says Keirin began in Japan in 1948. You can read a couple articles describing the sport here and here. Despite the controversy it does look like an exciting support. You can see a video of a race in this YouTube video.
