Photo: Nicola / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
I have to be honest, Koichi Nakano is the kind of athlete who makes me question what's even physically possible. This is the guy who won the World Championship sprint title ten years in a row through the late '70s and into the '80s, an unbroken streak that still feels almost mythical when I say it out loud. He came up out of Kurume in Fukuoka, a vocational-school kid who turned thigh power and sheer stubbornness into world domination, and at 172cm he wasn't some towering monster, he just refused to lose. The 2006 honor from the state felt less like a reward and more like an overdue acknowledgment of a Japanese legend.
Overview
Koichi Nakano is a Japanese cyclist born on November 14, 1955, in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture. A specialist in track sprint events, he competed at the highest international level and is regarded as one of Japan's greatest cycling champions. He attended Fukuoka Prefectural Yame Technical High School before building his career in both track cycling and keirin. In 2006, he was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon (Shiju-hosho), Japan's state honor for distinguished achievement in the arts and sciences.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Koichi Nakano
- Name (Japanese)
- 中野浩一
- Reading
- なかの こういち
- Born
- November 14, 1955 (age 70)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Goat
- Origin
- Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 172cm
- Occupation
- Cyclist / Track cyclist / Sprint cyclist / Keirin cyclist / Track and field athlete
2. Background
- High school
- Fukuoka Prefectural Yame Technical High School
Awards & achievements
- 2006 — Medal with Purple Ribbon (Shiju-hosho)
3. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%AD%E9%87%8E%E6%B5%A9%E4%B8%80
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1629541
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Koichi Nakano born?
Born November 14, 1955 (age 70).
Where is Koichi Nakano from?
Koichi Nakano is from Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
What does Koichi Nakano do?
Koichi Nakano works as Cyclist, Track cyclist, Sprint cyclist, Keirin cyclist, Track and field athlete.
How tall is Koichi Nakano?
Koichi Nakano is 172 cm.