'Why are there so many fatal accidents?' The nation is shocked; a top-tier veteran star passes away after falling ill, despite saying "I won't retire..."

*This content was translated by AI.

A veteran athlete who competed in Japan's highest-level Keirin league has died following a fall accident that occurred during a race.

Japanese media outlet 'Sports Niche Annex' reported on the 22nd, "Morohashi Megumu passed away on the 21st at the age of 49," adding, "The cause of death was multiple organ failure due to cervical spine injury, as officially announced by JKA, which oversees Keirin."

Morohashi's death sent shockwaves across Japan. On the same day, 'Kyodo News' reported that "Morohashi suffered a fall accident during a semi-final race held at Nara Keirin Track on the 12th and was urgently transported to a hospital in Nara city for treatment, but his death from multiple organ failure was confirmed at 2 a.m. on the 21st."

According to local reports, Morohashi, who started in lane 5, cut into the inner track near the second center of the final lap and became involved in a collision among leading riders. In the process, he fell face-first onto the track floor and rolled. Staff immediately responded with emergency first aid on-site before rushing him to a nearby hospital, but despite nine days of treatment, he never regained consciousness.

'Nikkan Sports' conveyed the sorrowful sentiments of fellow athletes on the same day. Veteran Takeda Toyoki, who had competed alongside Morohashi at major events such as the 2017 Keirin Grand Prix, said, "Seeing the fall scene made me extremely worried; I feel devastated and conflicted." He continued, "As we've grown older, we shared deeper conversations, and recently even joked about promising not to retire before each other. Yet this happened," before falling silent.

A native of Niigata Prefecture, Morohashi debuted in 1997 and maintained top-level performance for 29 years, becoming a flagship veteran of Japanese Keirin. At age 40, he won the Kyodo News Cup in 2017, claiming his first special Keirin trophy, and continued to thrive well into his later years.

This accident has caused even greater shock within the Japanese Keirin community. Just two months after Fushimi Toshiaki (age 50), a former silver medalist in the men's team sprint at the 2004 Athens Olympics, died from an accident during a race at Matsusaka Keirin Track, another top-tier athlete lost his life on the track.

According to an investigation by 'Sports Niche Annex', the total number of fatalities due to accidents during races in Japanese Keirin history has now reached 52. This marks the fourth tragedy within the past two decades, following Uchida Kei (age 27) in September 2008, Sakamoto Teruo (age 40) in July 2012, and Fushimi Toshiaki in July this year. With two veteran star athletes lost to race accidents within just two months, the Japanese Keirin world is engulfed in deep sorrow and shock.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.