Olympics-Cycling-A national passion but Japan still seeks golden moment in keirin

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Cycling - Track - Women's Sprint - Qualification - Izu Velodrome, Shizuoka, Japan - August 6, 2021. Yuka Kobayashi of Japan in action. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

IZU, Japan (Reuters) - Yuka Kobayashi broke new ground this week when she became the first female Japanese rider to compete at the Olympics in a keirin -- a cycling race ingrained in the country's culture.

The 27-year-old was taking part in the women's event at the Izu Velodrome and delighted the home crowd on Wednesday as she powered into the quarter-finals.