Saito Yuyuki (Kanagawa Prefecture, 121st term) experiences studying abroad in the United States to play baseball

There are about 2,400 keirin racers, both male and female, and they have a variety of backgrounds and hobbies. In "Recommended! Player Interviews," we will unravel the profiles of each racer through interviews.

Saito Yuyuki (Kanagawa Prefecture, 121st term), who made his debut at the age of 27 in 2022. After graduating from high school, he studied abroad at a university in the United States with the aim of becoming a professional baseball player. After that, when he returned to Japan after three and a half years of studying abroad and was feeling confused, he saw a special feature on keirin racers who had played professional baseball on TV and thought, "This is it!", and put an end to baseball.

He now feels that he is glad he chose the path of keirin.

He dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player and thought, "I want to fulfill my father's dream of becoming a professional baseball player, which he was unable to achieve," so he started playing baseball in junior high school. He suddenly joined a club team, but everyone around him had been playing baseball since childhood. It was quite hard to catch up, but as I worked hard with the desire to catch up with everyone, I gradually became addicted to the fun of baseball. Wanting to get better and better, I went to a high school that had a dormitory and an indoor practice field so I could practice more. My best result in high school was the top four in the West Tokyo Tournament.
After graduating from high school, I decided to study abroad at a community college in California with the aim of becoming a professional baseball player at an American university. The deciding factor was that I could play in many games. In America, there are games three days a week, including after class, and I decided that if I played more games, I would have more opportunities to become a professional.
I went there with the feeling that I might be able to communicate with gestures, but of course, I couldn't understand anything (laughs). Even when they talked to me, another teammate would say, "You don't understand anything even if I talk to you, you just say 'yes'"... It was frustrating, but gradually I was able to communicate. After a total of three and a half years, I finished my baseball study abroad in the United States and returned to Japan.
After returning to Japan, I continued playing baseball for a club team called "TOKYO METS" while working part-time and finding a job. At the same time, I felt that it would be tough to become a professional. But I didn't know what I wanted to do next, so I couldn't find a reason to quit and just continued playing.

A bolt from the blue

When I was feeling this way, my mother happened to be watching a TV program featuring Matsutani (Hideyuki) and suggested to me, "Why don't you try it too?" I watched the program and learned that Matsutani, a former professional baseball player, became a keirin racer at the age of 27 and that he had never raced before. It was a bolt from the blue for me, and I thought, "This is it!"

I immediately looked up keirin, and the store where I went to buy a bicycle for keirin was a bicycle shop run by Higashi Akira, the father of Higashi Ryunosuke, who later became my mentor.
That was the trigger, and Akira told me about the "aptitude test" that even people with no experience in cycling can take, so I decided to take the exam for the Japan Keirin Racing School.

Akira Azuma also watched me practice and I passed the exam.

When I entered the school, there were many riders who had achieved great results in cycling. I felt inferior and had a difference in strength, and it was the same feeling I had when I started playing baseball. So I decided to "practice more than anyone else." Then, little by little, my times improved and I was able to win the "Golden Cap".

At first, I entered the world of keirin because I thought I could become a professional athlete, but now I realize how deep the world of cycling is.
I enjoy watching and studying the settings, body movements, and training methods of other riders. I feel glad that I chose the path of keirin.

※The Japan Keirin Racing School holds "record meetings" three times a year, and times are measured in the following four events (the third record meeting measures times other than 3000m). There are five standard times for each of the 200m, 400m, 1000m, and 3000m events, and if you record the best standard time in all events, you will win the Golden Cap.
I still feel frustrated because I can't show the power I can show in practice in races. My current issues are that I get anxious when it comes to races and I can't go all out at the crucial moments. I would like to get more used to racing and study to use the "bank" better.
From July, I will move up to S class. I will do my best to win the S class, win the Memorial (GIII), and win the title!
Just like with my baseball, I think there are many people who feel that they are not fully committed in what they are doing or have regrets about their sports. I hope that my challenge in keirin will be an opportunity for those people to take a step towards something else.
Yuko Saito
Born May 9, 1995, from Itabashi-ku, Tokyo
Height 169.4cm, weight 78.4kg
Registered in Kanagawa Prefecture, home track Kawasaki Keirin Stadium
2021: Entered the Japan Keirin Racing School
2022: First person to pass the aptitude test to win the Golden Cap
2022: Debuted as a keirin racer as part of the 121st class
2023: Special promotion to A-class 2
2024: Promoted to S-class in July

My hobby is mountain climbing.
When I'm climbing, I have time to think about a lot of things, and since I usually only ride my bike, I also get new realizations by walking. Above all, it's refreshing!