CRUCIAL ROLE FOR SHAH FIRDAUS IN MALAYSIA'S GOLD MISSION AT PARIS OLYMPICS

By Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom may not be as popular as his senior Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, who is the 2017 world keirin champion and two-time Olympic medalist.

However, as the national track cycling squad gears up for the 2024 Paris Olympics next month, there is no doubt that the 28-year-old Johor-born cyclist will play a crucial role in the mission to win Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal.

Everyone knows that Azizulhasni, who will be making his fifth appearance at the Olympics, aspires to bring home the long-awaited gold medal from the 2024 Paris Olympics after winning bronze and silver in the keirin event at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 editions, respectively.

To realize this noble dream, the former world champion, nicknamed 'The Pocket Rocketman', greatly needs Shah Firdaus, whom he calls 'The Terminator', to accompany him as far as possible.

This is because the presence of Shah Firdaus can further diversify the national camp's strategy which will ultimately give the team an advantage, especially in the final race, which is expected to be very tactical. 

“We have won bronze and silver before. Hopefully, this is the time (we win gold).

“We learnt so much from the Tokyo edition in 2020. We know we have to be prepared for some unthinkable tactical movements by the opponents, but we do have a plan, we plan to win the gold medal and hopefully Shah can march to the final with me,” Azizulhasni told Bernama.

After progressing so much since his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 edition, Shah Firdaus, however, will face a winding path in Paris when he has to compete with a line of world keirin champions.

Based on the latest update of the world ranking of keirin events, Shah Firdaus is in the 21st position while Azizulhasni ranked eighth.

They will be up against world number one keirin rider Harrie Lavreysen from the Netherlands, Kevin Quintero (Colombia), Matthew Richardson (Australia), Mateusz Rudyk (Poland), Shinji Nakano (Japan), Kaiya Ota (Japan), Jeffrey Hoogland (Netherlands) and Jack Carlin (Great Britain).

Shah Firdaus said he was even willing to give up the individual sprint event in Paris for the more important gold mission in the keirin event.

“I will see my qualifying time in the sprint event first. If I’m in the top 10 or top five and the chances to win are there, I will proceed.

“But, if the qualifying time is just 50-50, it’s better to focus on keirin because they are back-to-back events and sprint is really tiring. If we spend too much energy on the sprint event, we will suffer fatigue and fall flat in the keirin event the next day. Our mission is to win gold in keirin, right?” he said.

In the Tokyo Olympics 2020, Shah Firdaus and Azizulhasni were both stranded in the third round repechage of the individual sprint event.

In the keirin event, Shah Firdaus advanced to the quarter-finals, while Azizulhasni entered the final but had to settle for the silver.

Shah Firdaus' biggest challenge this time around is probably managing his training intensity to ensure he is at an optimal level after undergoing Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment on his left shoulder and free from bacterial infection.

“Injuries usually happen at the gym, so I have to modify a lot of things during my training now... and be careful not to put too much weight on my back.

“But we have a good support system, there are physiotherapists who are always with us. So, if anything happens during training they will treat it on the spot, so that's a good thing,” said the cyclist who was excited to start a training camp in Mallorca, Spain this month before setting off for Paris.

It is hoped that, at their optimal level of performance, the pairing of Azizulhasni and Shah Firdaus, who at times are seen as a mentor and his protégé, would create a sensation in Paris and prove that world ranking is just a number that does not reflect their actual capability.

Apart from the duo, women cyclists - Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri will also make her Olympic debut in Paris, while Nur Aisyah Mohamad Zubir will be Malaysia’s sole representative in the road race event.

Shah Firdaus’ Profile:

Name: Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom

Age: 28

Date of Birth: 26 November 1995

Place of Birth: Muar, Johor

Hobbies: Cycling and playing guitars.

Achievements: Bronze in keirin and sprint events at  Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, silver in men’s team sprint at Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games 2018, bronze in keirin at Commonwealth Games 2022, silver in keirin and team sprint at Asian Track Cycling Championship 2022.

-- BERNAMA