# Japanese world champions reveal their rainbow jerseys

*By Simon | February 17, 2025*

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![satorainbow](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/satorainbow.jpg)

## 󠀁[Japanese world champions reveal their rainbow jerseys](https://globalkeirin.com/2025/02/japanese-world-champions-reveal-their-rainbow-jerseys/)󠁿

17 February 2025

Japan’s **Mina Sato** and **Kento Yamasaki**, winners of the women’s and men’s
keirin at the 2024 UCI world championships, have revealed their customised
rainbow jerseys in posts on team Rakuten K Dreams’s X feed.

The ‘special new practice jerseys’ seem quite normal from the front, albeit
without a UCI logo. But things are quite different on the back, with each rider
having their names emblazoned in a huge font across the shoulders – and a
cartoon portrait on the back pockets.

![rainbows](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/02/rainbows.jpg)

_Photos from X/KdreamsTeam #_

Since winning their world titles, the two riders have returned to the Japanese
pro keirin circuit: they both turned down invitations to compete in the UCI
Track Champions League in favour of more lucrative opportunities at home. They
have been wearing the usual coloured keirin uniforms, instead of rainbow
stripes.

Yamasaki’s form has dipped somewhat since Ballerup – he made the S-Class final
of January’s HPCJC Cup, supporting the High Performance Centre of Japanese
Cycling, but his last-lap attack didn’t stick, and his national team colleague
**Kaiya Ota** took the win.

_Yamasaki 1 attacks but Ota 3 takes the win_

Sato could only manage second in the Girls Grand Prix at the end of December,
but it was the only Japanese race she didn’t win in 2024; and she has 3 wins
from 3 starts in the early weeks of 2025.

The Asian Track Cycling Championships take place in Nilai, Malaysia, starting
this coming Friday: but so far we haven’t been able to find start lists or
schedules.

**Categories:** Original