Shah Firdaus shows champion’s mentality to make quarters

Shah Firdaus shows champion’s mentality to make quarters

The 25-year-old suffered injuries after crashing in Heat 2 of the keirin first round.

A visibly injured Shah Firdaus walks off the track after crashing in Heat 1 of the men’s keirin first round. (AP pic)
TOKYO:
Shah Firdaus Sahrom followed Azizulhasni Awang into the quarterfinals in spectacular style after finishing second in Heat 1 of the of the men’s keirin first round repechage behind Kwesi Browne of Trinidad and Tobago.

What made his progress even more remarkable is that he had suffered injuries after being involved in a collision with Briton Jack Carlin in Heat 2 of the first round earlier.

The 25-year-old, who is making his Olympic debut, was trying to squeeze through a gap when the accident occurred.

Kazakhstan’s Sergey Ponomaryov then crashed into the fallen Malaysian.

The race had to be restarted after all the heats had been completed but Shah Firdaus, who suffered bruises on his shoulder, and Ponomaryov were forced to pull out.

But it did not stop him from producing the race of his life in the repechage to join Azizulhasni in the quarterfinals tomorrow.

In the quarterfinals, Azizulhasni is in Heat 3 with Matthew Glaetzer (Australia), Stefan Boetticher (Germany), Yuta Wakimoto (Japan), Denis Dmitriev (Russian Olympic Committee) and Kwesi.

Shah Firdaus meanwhile will battle it out again with Carlin in Heat 2 alongside Maximilian Levy (Germany), Callum Saunders (New Zealand), Jair Tjon En Fa (Suriname) and Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago).

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