Impressive finish for cyclist Firdaus in Glasgow

PETALING JAYA: Cyclist Mohd Firdaus Mohd Zonis rode through the pain barrier to do Malaysia proud at the UCI Juniors World Track Championships in Glasgow on Saturday.

Firdaus, the Asian junior champion, clocked 1:05.092 to finish sixth in the 1km time trial final and it is an impressive achievement considering he is eligible for another go at the world meet next year.

Maximilian Dornbach of Germany clocked 1:03.129 for the gold ahead of Russian Aleksandr Dubchenko (1:03.227). Australia’s Zachary Shaw claimed the bronze in 1:03.288. 

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad was delighted with Firdaus’ performance.

“He was unlucky to have hurt himself in a training mishap when we came here earlier and end up with three stitches on his shin. 

“But he fought the pain and the older competitors to register a good result.

“Anyway, the gold, silver and bronze medallists as well as well as the fourth fastest (Thomas Copponi of France) will not be around for next year’s World Juniors while Firdaus is still eligible. 

“He has to contend with South Korean rider Jung Jae-hee who is of the same age and who is ahead by about 0.1 second. 

“If Firdaus keeps his form and improves further, he has a very bright future. It is a good exposure for him and we should see some medals in next year’s championships,” said Naim. 

Firdaus’ performance in the 1km time trial made up for the disappointing exit in the keirin’s first round. 

Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom reached the keirin second round but failed in his bid to enter the top six final. Sahrom also reached the top 16 in the 200m sprint before he was eliminated.
 
The duo combined with Asyraf Naim Ying to form the team sprint combination but were relegated for a technical infringement. 

As for Afiq Huznie Othman, he finished 16th in the men’s points race final.