Olympic medalist dies after crashing into barrier during cycling race

Olympic medalist Toshiaki Fushimi died after crashing during a cycling race in Japan.

The cyclist was competing in the Matsusaka Keirin tournament in Japan on Saturday when other racers collided in front of him.

In video circulating social media, you see Toshiaki apparently had to veer off to the side to avoid getting caught up in the collision. According to U.K. Metro, Toshiaki was the rider in black.

While he avoided the mass pileup, Toshiaki crashed into the safety barrier ... fracturing his cervical vertebrae and skull. He was reportedly taken to a hospital, but died the next day.

Hiroshi Kido, chairman of the Japan Keirin Association, told The Independent in a statement ... "It is truly heartbreaking that he lost his life in an accident during a race. We will reconfirm our safety measures and thoroughly ensure fair and safe races.”

Toshiaki won the silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics ... competing for Japan in the men's team sprint.

He was 50.

RIP

Want to see more TMZ content on MSN? Be sure to follow us. Also, add TMZ as a Preferred Source in Google by clicking here.