There are just four sports that patrons in Japan can bet on legally. A form of bicycle racing known as keirin is one of them.
Keirin cyclists compete in two-kilometer track races; they start by following a pacer, then sprint to the finish line.
The sport started in 1948 and was created with gambling in mind. For a while its popularity grew, but it faced a decline in the 1990s and never fully recovered.
Even so, many still seek to join the professional ranks. But becoming a registered keirin racer isn't easy.
There is a special school that riders must attend; it has an acceptance rate of 10%. The training is intense, lasting six days a week for 15 hours a day for almost a year.
These photos, taken by Chris McGrath for Getty Images, take you inside the Keirin School in Japan and its intense athletic regimen.
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Morning wake up is at 6:30. Students prepare their bikes before training. They have 15 minutes to get ready before roll call, and then get loose and warm up ahead of training.
After roll call there's exercising, drills, and cleaning responsibilities. Breakfast is a big deal: Students consume 1,300 calories (double the norm) to prepare for hard physical work throughout the day.
Female keirin students run a set of steps during their morning jog. Becky James, who rode on the keirin circuit for a while, told the Daily Mail that "the girls all have really short haircuts and they have to wear the same uniforms. It’s crazy and very old school. It’s the same for the boys too. They were walking around in hats and shorts, and T-shirts had to be tucked in. And if they saw us they had to bow!"
Source:The Daily Mail
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