Gimpo-Suseong rivalry frames second-half keirin
The 2026 keirin season enters its second half with Gimpo and Suseong riders meeting across Special-class finals and major races.
The central matchup in the second half of the 2026 keirin season is the contest between the Gimpo team and the Suseong team, two leading training bases. Gimpo is built around Jeong Jong-jin(20th class·SS), Gong Tae-min(24th class·SS) and Kim Woo-gyeom(27th class·SS), while Suseong counters with Im Chae-bin(25th class·SS), Ryu Jae-yeol(19th class·SS) and Jeong Hae-min(22nd class·S1). Gimpo currently has 19 Special-class riders, and Suseong has 15.
The rivalry between Jeong Jong-jin and Im Chae-bin has become sharper this season. Until last season, the two checked each other in major-race finals while keeping the flow relatively steady. This year, more races have shown riders using alliances to pressure opponents or choosing direct head-to-head moves.
That shift was shown in the first-half King of Kings final held late last month. The race opened with a close fight for position, and Im used cooperation with teammate Jeong Hae-min to keep Jeong Jong-jin in check. The flow changed in the later stages, Jeong came from behind to win, and Gong Tae-min also entered the contest before Jeong's victory was decided.
The teams' rivalry is not limited to their aces. In the first Special-class final of the second half, held on July 5 at Gwangmyeong Speedom, Kim Woo-gyeom, newly added to the second-half Super Special class, faced veteran Ryu Jae-yeol. Kim appeared to take control by using rookie Moon Shin-jun-seo(30th class·S1), but Ryu turned the race around on the backstretch with a sudden surge from the middle or rear of the line to pass the leading rider.
The balance between the two teams remains difficult to separate. Gimpo's core also includes In Chi-hwan(17th class·S1), Jung Jae-won(19th class·S1), Choi Dong-hyun(20th class·S1) and Park Geon-su(25th class·S2). Suseong has Jeong Hae-min, Kim Ok-cheol(27th class·S1), Son Je-yong(28th class·S1) and Seok Hye-yun(28th class·S1), placing riders from both sides in repeated major-race and Special-class final matchups.
Lee Keun-woo, chief reporter at the keirin forecasting sheet Myeongpum Keirin, said, 'The competition between the Gimpo team and the Suseong team is becoming intense enough to change the shape of races, beyond a simple contest between training bases. The head-to-head between Jeong Jong-jin and Im Chae-bin, as well as the pride contest among riders from both teams, will be another point to watch in second-half keirin.'
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