CHALLENGE ENDS WITH A WHIMPER
Malaysians end up empty-handed on the final day of the Asian Championships
THE Asian Track Championships (ATC) came to a sombre end for the national cyclists as none finished on the podium at the National Velodrome in Nilai yesterday.
Fatehah Mustapa’s hopes of adding to the bronze she won in the 500m time trial on Saturday were dashed after she was outwitted in the keirin final where she finished last.
The 28-year-old had a tough start to the day and was forced to go the repechage route to make the semi-finals where she scraped through in third.
As expected, former Olympic bronze medallist Lee Wai Sze of Hong Kong took the title in emphatic fashion with South Korea's Lee Hye-jin and China's Zhong Tianshi coming in second and third.
An emotional Fatehah admitted that it was just not her day.
"I felt confident in the semi-finals but it was tough in the final," said the Terengganu-born.
"I waited for Wai Sze to make a move but she didn't, then I did not see Tianshi coming from behind.
"With the two Koreans (Hye-jin and Kim Wong-yeong) in the way I just did not have a chance.
"It is sad as I really wanted to do something special for the Malaysian fans. I just have to accept that it was not my day."
Fatehah, however, remains optimistic having achieved positives in the sprint qualifying round on Sunday.
National coach John Beasley is putting his elite riders through a strength building phase and is planning to see them peak during the Indonesia Asian Games later this year.
"What happened today is another learning experience for me. It will give me added motivation to do well,” added Fatehah. "I think I did pretty well in the sprint and managed 11.149s in qualifying which I had not done since 2014.
"The goal is to peak at the Asian Games and I hope to win gold there in the sprint or keirin."
Compatriot Farina Shawati Adnan did not make the final after coming in fourth in her semi-final group.
The men's junior omnium saw Shahmir Aiman Abdul Halim finishing eighth.
The national elite riders concluded the ATC with a haul of one gold, one silver and two bronze while the juniors managed one gold, two silver and two bronze.