Azizul, Shah Firdaus lose in sprint, switch focus to keirin

Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang is assisted after falling before competing in a last 16 heat of the men's track cycling sprint at Izu Velodrome in Izu. - Greg Baker/AFP

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian track cyclists Azizulhasni Awang and Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom will focus on keirin after bowing out from the individual sprint event in the last 16.

Azizul and Shah Firdaus lost to their rivals from Holland - Jeffrey Hoogland and Harrie Lavreysen - at the Izu Velodrome on thursday, and that saw them moving into their respective repechage heats to keep alive their hopes to the quarter-finals.

But Asia's hopes of having a representative in the last eight of the men's sprint was dashed when Azizul and Japan's Yuta Wakimoto lost to defending Olympics champion Jason Kenny of Britain in the first repechage heat that comprised the three riders.

Shah Firdaus also exited in the same manner as he failed to get the better of France's Sebastien Vigier and New Zealand's Sam Webster in the second repechage heat.

Azizul and Shah Firdaus will only compete in the keirin event on Saturday.