Toshiaki Fushimi, a two-time Keirin Grand Prix winner and an Olympic silver medallist, died following a racing incident at Matsusaka this past weekend.

The 50-year old was competing in the 12th race, the S-Class Final on Saturday. With half a lap remaining, three riders in the middle of the field came into contact, with two hitting the ground.

Fushimi, riding in black 2 at the back of the line, had enough time to see the crash, and swung upwards into the final bend, to avoid the pile-up in the middle of the track.

But he is reported to have hit the wall around the outside of the track, suffering a spinal cord injury. He was rushed to hospital, but died the following morning.

The race video on keirin.jp follows the front of the race; it does not capture the moment of impact.

The S1-ranked Fushimi made his debut in April 1995, and recorded 619 wins in his career – including the prestigious Keirin Grand Prix events in 2001 and 2007.

He was part of the team sprint line-up which took silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and won individual sprint (1999) and keirin (2000, 2001) gold at the Asian Championships.

In a statement posted on the Japan Cycling Federation website, chair Seiko Hashimoto paid tribute to a rider whose single-minded attitude and numerous achievements gave dreams and courage to many athletes and young people who aspire to become cyclists.

Fushimi was a columnist for the Netkeirin website. In his final article, he noted the recent retirements of a number of friends in the sport.

‘It makes me realise how quickly time flies, and I sometimes reflect on the weight of that decision, something only those who have quit can understand, knowing that it will one day be my turn too.

‘I fulfilled my childhood dream and became a professional keirin racer. I never want to forget the beginner’s spirit I had when I made my debut at the age of 19. As long as I can move, I’ll keep pedaling as hard as I can.’

2007: Fushimi 3 snatches his second Keirin Grand Prix title at the line