# Joy for Japan as Yamasaki claims keirin rainbows

*By Simon | October 17, 2024*

![Joy for Japan as Yamasaki claims keirin rainbows](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/AW7_2402-2.jpg)

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![](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/AW7_2402-2-jpg.webp)

## 󠀁[Joy for Japan as Yamasaki claims keirin rainbows](https://globalkeirin.com/2024/10/joy-for-japan-as-yamasaki-claims-keirin-rainbows/)󠁿

17 October 2024

Earlier in the day, Shinji Nakano had looked like Japan’s best hope for keirin
success at the Track World Championships; but when he failed to make the final,
the country’s hopes rested on the shoulders of **Kento Yamasaki**.

The 31 year old rider from Nagasaki seized his opportunity, catching the wheel
of Colombia’s **Kevin Quintero** into the final lap, and crossing the line ahead
of the previously unbeaten **Mikhail Yakovlev**.

![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/DdocCePZZEU/maxresdefault.jpg)

Yamasaki adds the world title to the Asian continental championship he won in
India in February this year, and the Japanese title he claimed just a few weeks
ago. He gives Japan its first world keirin title for 37 years.

![UCI 2024 Track World Championships Ballerup](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/SW6_9996.jpg)

_Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com_

### Final (1-6)

| 🥇 | Yamasaki | JPN 🇯🇵 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 🥈 | Yakovlev | ISR 🇮🇱 |
| 🥉 | Quintero | COL 🇨🇴 |
| 󠀁**4**󠁿 | Ledingham-Horn | GBR 🇬🇧 |
| 󠀁**5**󠁿 | Rudyk | POL 🇵🇱 |
| 󠀁**6**󠁿 | Hoogland | NED 🇳🇱 |

Hoogland leads into the final lap, but Quintero is on the charge as the bell
rings. Yamasaki picks up his wheel into corner one, boxing Ledingham-Horn. The
Japanese rider makes his move into corner three, with Yakovlev swooping into the
gap behind. Yamasaki holds on, to win by a wheel ahead of Yakovlev, with
Quintero third on the inside.

![photo16](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/photo16.jpg)

### Final (7-12)

| 󠀁**7**󠁿 | Nakano | JPN 🇯🇵 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 󠀁**8**󠁿 | Lavreysen | NED 🇳🇱 |
| 󠀁**9**󠁿 | Shah Firdaus | MAS 🇲🇾 |
| 󠀁**10**󠁿 | Moro | ITA 🇮🇹 |
| 󠀁**11**󠁿 | Kang | TPE 🏳️ |
| 󠀁**12**󠁿 | To | HKG 🇭🇰 |

A great head-to-head contest between Nakano and Lavreysen, but not in the race
we were expecting.

The two star names finish well ahead of the rest of the field, setting a
blistering time despite the lower stakes, over 73km/h for the final 200.

![712final](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/10/712final.jpg)

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** ballerup2024