Para cyclists deliver
Shah Firdaus also claims first keirin silver at Asian meet
PETALING JAYA: The national para cyclists brought joy to Malaysia with a triple-gold feat while Muhd Shah Firdaus Sahrom stepped up to bag his first career silver in keirin at the Asian Cycling Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Nur Faizah Aziz earned the first gold for Malaysia when she clocked 5:19.674 to win the women’s C3 individual pursuit final at Rawamangun Velodrome yesterday.
Muhammad Afiq Afify RizanMuhd Khairul Adha Rasol, the 2017 Para Track Cycling World Championships bronze medallists, went on to deliver the second gold for Malaysia in the men’s (B) tandem sprint event.
Afiq-Khairul beat Japan’s Kazuhei Kimura-Takuto Kurabayashi convincingly in the two-heat final.
Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais and her able-bodied pilot Nurul Suhada Zainal later delivered the third gold for Malaysia in the women’s (B) tandem sprint event.
Nur Azlia-Nurul beat teammates Nur Syahida Tajudin-Noraidillina Adilla J. Sam in two heats in the final to further cement their reputation as the fastest in Asia.
Nur Azlia-Nurul bagged three gold medals at the Asian Para Games last year – road race, individual pursuit and 1km time trial.
Afiq, who took gold in the men’s (B) tandem 1km time trial at the Asian Para Games, was all smiles.
“I’m happy we won the sprint gold at this Asian championships. We want to show we are the strongest in Asia as the organisers did not include this event at the Asian Para Games in Indonesia last year,” he said.
“Now, I will try to win the 1km time trial and individual pursuit as well.”
Mohd Khairul Hazwan Wahab and Mohd Faizal Noh claimed the bronze for Malaysia in the men’s (B) tandem sprint.
It could have been four in the bag with Malaysia having big hopes on either Azizulhasni Awang or Shah Firdaus to win the men’s elite keirin title after both made it to the final.
But the 2017 world champion Azizul missed out on a medal in his pet event as he ended fifth ahead of Indonesia Asian Games champion Jai Angsuthasawit of Thailand.
Malaysia still got a medal to show as Shah Firdaus came out strongly after the final bend to finish second behind Japan’s Yuka Wakimoto, a Track World Cup winner in keirin.
Defending champion Tomoyuki Kawabata, also from Japan, settled for bronze.
The silver is the best achievement in keirin at the Asian championships as Shah Firdaus took bronze in the 2017 edition in New Delhi, India.
“I’m happy to get the silver medal as I managed to be in front of two other Japanese cyclists (Kawabata and Yudai Nitta). Japan won the team sprint gold medal, so we are right up with them,” said the 23-year-old.
“I needed this result to improve on my rankings to get into the Track Cycling World Championships (in Poland next month),” added Shah Firdaus, who partnered Azizul and Mohd Fadhil Zonis to claim bronze in the team sprint on Wednesday.