NATIONAL track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom has advanced to the men’s keirin quarter-finals at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The 28-year-old secured his spot after winning the third repechage heat at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome, clocking in at 10.154 seconds (s).
Shah Firdaus, who won two bronze medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, outpaced Canada’s Nick Wammes (+0.014s), China’s Liu Qi (+0.121s), and Suriname’s Jair Tjon En Fa (+0.144s). Only two riders advanced to the quarter-finals, which will take place today.
France’s Rayan Helal initially finished second but was relegated for irregular movement to prevent an opponent from passing.
In today’s first quarter-final heat, he will face tough competition from Jack Carlin of Great Britain, Matthew Glaetzer of Australia, and Kaiya Ota of Japan.
Earlier last night, Malaysia’s main medal hope, Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, was disqualified in the first heat for passing the derny (an electric motorbike acting as a pacer) before it left the track.
The quarter-final round is scheduled for 11.29am Sunday (5.29 pm local time), followed by the semi-finals an hour later and the final at 1.32pm (7.32pm local time). – August 11, 2024.
