is a Japanese

BMX BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation. History BMX began during the earl ...

cyclist. He represented his nation

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

, and later claimed the silver medal in the inaugural men's BMX cycling at the

2010 Asian Games The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known as the XVI Asian Games () and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (), was a regional multi-sport event celebrated from November 12 to November 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, although several events ...

. Sakamoto qualified for the Japanese squad, as the sole Asian rider, in men's BMX cycling at the

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

by receiving an invitational berth from the

Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues racing ...

(UCI) based on his best performance at the UCI World Championships in

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

, Canada. After he grabbed a thirty-second seed on the morning prelims with a slowest time of 40.548, Sakamoto scored a total of 19 placing points to mount a seventh spot in his quarterfinal heat, thus eliminating him from the tournament. At the

in Guangzhou, China, Sakamoto held off his teammate Masahiro Sampei to take home the men's BMX silver medal in 31.379, trailing closely behind Hong Kong's

Steven Wong Steven Patrick Marie Josee Wong (; born on 28 April 1988) is a BMX cyclist for Hong Kong. Steven Wong was born to a Hong Kong Chinese father and Belgian mother. he has a little sister and grew up in Belgium. His father has a restaurant in Bel ...

by more than a full second.

References

External links

NBC Olympics Profile
* 1982 births Living people Japanese male cyclists BMX riders Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Cyclists at the 2010 Asian Games Asian Games medalists in cycling Olympic cyclists for Japan Sportspeople from Sakai, Osaka Asian Games silver medalists for Japan Medalists at the 2010 Asian Games {{Japan-cycling-bio-stub