PETALING JAYA: Track cyclist Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom, the last man standing in Paris, needs to be extra careful when he resume his campaign in the men’s keirin quarter-finals (5.30pm Malaysian time) on the last day of Olympic Games.
Shah Firdaus has already received one warning for an infraction during his first round heat yesterday. He can’t afford to get a second warning as that will mean disqualification.
Shah Firdaus has managed to avoid favourites Harrie Lavreysen of Holland and Australia’s Matthew Richardson but his heat is still filled with tough opposition.
He has been placed in Heat 1 alongside Australia’s Matthew Glaetzer, James Hedgcock (Canada), Jack Carlin (Britain), Israel’s Mikhail Yakovlev and Japan’s Ota Kaiya.
Carlin has already won a bronze (individual sprint) and silver (team sprint) in Paris while Kaiya set a new Asian 200m record in the individual sprint on Wednesday.
Yakovlev also has serious pace having qualified third behind Richardson and Lavreysen in the individual sprint while Glaetzer is a two-time Commonwealth Games keirin gold medallist.
Ota and Carlin have also received warnings.
Only the top four in each heat qualify for the semi-finals, which will be held later today (6.30pm).
Shah Firdaus advanced to the quarter-finals after winning his repechage heat yesterday.
