Fatehah Mustapa finished second in a keirin competition in Cottbus and looks promising for the Asian Games. - filepic
PETALING JAYA: With less than 30 days before the Asian Games cycling competition starts, Fatehah Mustapa is on the right track to fight for a podium finish.
At a keirin competition in Cottbus, Germany on Sunday, Fatehah finished second behind reigning world champion Kristina Vogel of Germany. Another German, Doreen Heinze finished third.
Fatehah was snapping at the heels of Vogel in the race but her effort down the final straight was just not enough.
However, coach John Beasley was happy with the outcome, as they had come to Cottbus specifically to train for the Asian Games, due to the similarities of the track.
The track at Incheon in South Korea will be 333m long, similar to the one in Cottbus.
“I am very proud of Fatehah as she worked really hard over the past couple of years to get her career to the next level.
“I know it has not been easy for her and that makes this small victory sweeter,” said Beasley on his Facebook post.
After spending the last three weeks in Cottbus, the track team which include Azizulhasni Awang, Josiah Ng, Mohd Rizal Tisin, Mohd Edrus Yunos and Ju Pha Som Net will head to Chiangmai, Thailand for their final phase of preparation.
In the 2010 Asiad in Guangzhou, Fatehah finished fourth in the 500m time trial event. In the sprint, she exited in the quarter-finals.
There was no women’s keirin event in Guangzhou.
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