# Foreign women rule World Series again, but another lesson for Richardson

*By Simon | July 2, 2026*

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![Screenshot](https://globalkeirin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/hetty-pr.jpg)

## 󠀁[Foreign women rule World Series again, but another lesson for Richardson](https://globalkeirin.com/2026/07/foreign-women-rule-world-series-again-but-another-lesson-for-richardson/)󠁿

2 July 2026

[Matthew Richardson](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/matthew-richardson/)
admitted he is struggling to find his feet in Japan’s more combative keirin
competition, recording another last place as the second Keirin World Series
event concluded.

Competing in the middle of Sunday’s race programme, following his last place on
Saturday, Richardson 3 seemed to be setting up for a big attack from the back of
the line. But he appeared to be spinning out in the back straight, and wasn’t
able to make progress up the line.

A rider emerged from the line at the bottom of the track, and for a moment it
seemed like he might give Richardson a tow towards the front. But he didn’t have
the legs; and instead became an obstacle to Richardson’s progress. The British
rider knew the game was up, and eased off, finishing last for the second
successive race.

[https://wm.st.keirin.jp/wm-keirin81/20260628-81-02-09-01-00.mp4](https://wm.st.keirin.jp/wm-keirin81/20260628-81-02-09-01-00.mp4)

His compatriot [Joe Truman](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/joseph-truman/) 2
qualified for the men’s main final, and made full use of the Kokura arena’s
racing surface to claim second position as they entered the final lap. Truman
emerged from the final corner in the lead, but two riders came up his outside,
to leave him third in a tight finish. Ayato Abe 7, bronze at UCI junior worlds
in 2022, took the win by half a wheel from Soma Ito 5.

[https://wm.st.keirin.jp/wm-keirin81/20260628-81-02-12-01-00.mp4](https://wm.st.keirin.jp/wm-keirin81/20260628-81-02-12-01-00.mp4)

In the women’s final, the two foreign guest riders again finished first and
second – but this time, the result stood, with
[Hetty van de Wouw](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/hetty-van-de-wouw/) 2 taking
the win – and handing
[Ellesse Andrews](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/ellesse-andrews/) 6 her first
defeat in Japan.

The Dutch rider seemed to want to follow the Kiwi to the front, but was briefly
boxed in, and had to take the long way over the top. Andrews held the lead out
of the final bend, but van de Wouw had all the momentum, and she eased past a
tiring Andrews to win by three-quarters of a length.

[https://wm.st.keirin.jp/wm-keirin81/20260628-81-02-10-01-00.mp4](https://wm.st.keirin.jp/wm-keirin81/20260628-81-02-10-01-00.mp4)

With two Keirin World Series events now complete, it’s remarkable that every
race featuring a foreign woman has been won by a foreign woman – with the only
blemish on an otherwise perfect record being
[Mathilde Gros](https://globalkeirin.com/rider/mathilde-gros/)‘s DQ in the
women’s final at the first event.

**Categories:** Original
**Tags:** japan, keirinworldseries