The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between two and four riders, though it is usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other. Men's sprint has been an Olympic event at every games except 1904 and 1912. Women's sprints have been contested at every Olympics since 1988.
Keirin – literally "racing cycle" – is a form of motor-paced cycle racing in which track cyclists sprint for victory following a speed-controlled start behind a motorized or non-motorized pacer. It was developed in Japan around 1948 for gambling purposes and became an official event at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.
The men's Keirin in cycling at the 2004 Summer Olympics was contested by 22 cyclists. A Keirin race consisted of eight laps of the track, or 2 kilometres.
The men's sprint event was part of the track cycling programme at the 1920 Summer Olympics. There were 37 competitors from 11 nations, with each nation apparently limited to four cyclists. The event was won by Maurice Peeters of the Netherlands, the nation's first victory in the men's sprint. Two British cyclists, Thomas Johnson and Harry Ryan, were in the final as well, taking silver and bronze.
The men's Keirin at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 16 at the Laoshan Velodrome.
The men's sprint at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17–19 at the Laoshan Velodrome. There were 21 competitors from 15 nations, with each nation limited to two cyclists. The event was won by Chris Hoy of Great Britain, the nation's first victory in the men's sprint and first medal in the event since 1948. He faced his teammate Jason Kenny in the final, the first time since 1984 that one nation had taken the top two spots. Mickaël Bourgain of France earned bronze. Germany's four-Games podium streak ended.
The men's sprint event was part of the track cycling programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The field consisted of 31 cyclists from 17 countries. The Vélodrome de Vincennes track was a 500-metre (1,640 ft) loop. The event was won by Lucien Michard of France, the nation's third victory in the men's sprint. His teammate Jean Cugnot earned bronze. Jacob Meijer of the Netherlands took silver, putting the Dutch team on the podium for the second consecutive Games.
The men's sprint cycling event at the 1932 Summer Olympics took place on August 1 and 3. The format was a sprint of 1000 metres. There were nine competitors from nine nations, with each nation limited to one cyclist. The event was won by Jacobus van Egmond of the Netherlands, the nation's second victory in the men's sprint. It was the fourth consecutive Games that the Netherlands reached the podium in the event. France made the podium for the third consecutive Games, with Louis Chaillot taking silver. Bruno Pellizzari gave Italy its first men's sprint medal with his bronze.
The men's keirin in cycling at the 2000 Summer Olympics was contested by 20 cyclists. A keirin race consisted of eight laps of the track, or 2 kilometres (1.2 mi).
The women's keirin at the 2011 Dutch National Track Championships in Apeldoorn took place at Omnisport Apeldoorn on December 29, 2011. 13 athletes participated in the contest.
The men's Keirin at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro took place at the Rio Olympic Velodrome on 16 August.
The women's Keirin at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro took place at the Rio Olympic Velodrome on 13 August. This was the second time that the event was held at the Olympics, after making its debut in London four years prior.
Sergey Polynskiy is a Russian professional track cyclist. He won a bronze medal for the Russian home squad in men's team sprint at the first stage of the 2004 UCI World Cup series in Moscow, and later represented his nation Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Polynskiy currently races professionally for Petroholding Leningrad Cycling Team.
The men's sprint event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place from 4 to 6 August 2021 at the Izu Velodrome. 30 cyclists from 18 nations competed.
The women's sprint event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place from 6 to 8 August 2021 at the Izu Velodrome. 30 cyclists from 18 nations competed. Canadian rider Kelsey Mitchell won gold, with Olena Starikova from Ukraine and Lee Wai-sze from Hong-Kong completing the medal positions.
The men's team sprint event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 3 August 2021 at the Izu Velodrome. 24 cyclists from 8 nations competed.
The men's Keirin event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 7 and 8 August 2021 at the Izu Velodrome. 30 cyclists from 18 nations competed.
The women's Keirin event at the 2020 Summer Olympics took place on 4 and 5 August 2021 at the Izu Velodrome. 29 cyclists from 18 nations competed.
The women's sprint event at the 2024 Summer Olympics is taking place from 9 to 11 August 2024 at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
The women's Keirin event at the 2024 Summer Olympics took place on 7 and 8 August 2024 at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.
