Following ‘Pocket Rocketman’ Azizulhasni Awang’s disqualification in the 1st Heat of the Keirin competition at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, national track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom stepped up to the plate and against all odds, made it to the final of the Keirin competition.
Sadly, luck was not on Shah Firdaus’ side during the final as he crashed with another rider and ended up coming in 4th. Worse, he has since been relegated by the Olympics, resulting in a 6th-place finish.
The 28-year-old was hit by Japanese rider Shinji Nakano, causing Jack Carlin of Great Britain to lose control and fall in the final round at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome.
The gold medal was won by Harrie Lavreysen (Netherlands), while Matthew Richardson (Australia) won silver and Matthew Glaetzer (Australia) bronze.
Selepas terlibat dalam kemalangan, Shah Firdaus tamat di tempat keempat 🇲🇾
Harrie Lavreysen dari Belanda muncul juara!#GoForGold #SokongMalaysia #Paris2024 #KitaSemuaTeamMas pic.twitter.com/UUZ76lqcmX
— ASTRO ARENA (@ASTROARENA) August 11, 2024
Shah Firdaus showcased determination throughout the competition. He took the hard way and relied on a bit of luck to advance to the Keirin final.
He had to compete in the repechage after being relegated in his 1st round Heat for riding on the blue band and receiving a warning for moving down towards the inside of the track and forcing another competitor off the track.
After passing the quarter-final, Shah Firdaus then seemingly stumbled at the semi-final when he finished 4th.
However, against all odds, he ended up advancing to the final after the 3rd place finisher was relegated for an infringement.
In the final, although the results show Shah Firdaus finishing 4th initially, it was changed to relegated on the Games’ official website, resulting in a 6th-place finish.
All and all, it was an excellent performance by Shah Firdaus who definitely made our country proud. Thank you Shah Firdaus!
Also read: “Could’ve given him just a warning” – KJ Says Olympics Made a Mistake in Disqualifying Azizulhasni
