Japan's Shinji Nakano (R) and Britain's Jack Carlin crash during the men's track cycling keirin final for gold of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, south-west of Paris, on August 11, 2024. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)
PETALING JAYA: A crash in the final dash to the finish line was certainly not how national cyclist Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom would’ve wanted to end his Paris Olympics campaign, but the hate channelled towards Japanese rider Shinji Nakano has to stop.
Shah Firdaus said the nasty comments that flooded Nakano’s social media pages have left a sour impression of Malaysians for the Japanese rider.
“I thought Malaysians were nice,” that was the message Nakano had sent to Shah Fridaus after both riders collided in the men’s keirin final in Paris, denying a bronze medal for Malaysia.
Shah Firdaus said the negative comments directed towards Nakano make him feel embarrassed, as the Japanese rider and him have a good relationship.
“Nakano messaged me and said that he was being attacked on social media. And when I checked, there were many comments blaming him,” said Shah Firdaus.
“I hope netizens will stop attacking him on his social media because it also affects our relationship.
“It makes me feel bad because he thought Malaysians were nice because I have always been nice to him.
“When I go to Japan, he takes me around. And now when he feels this way, I feel ashamed.’’
The 28-year-old said there are so many factors that play a part in a race, and it is impossible to predict what would happen.
“Anything can happen in a race, we can’t predict it. Nakano did not mean to crash into me.
“There was body contact and a collision, but that’s normal in keirin, he didn’t hit me on purpose, it was due to the G-force.
“It made it look like he pushed me, which is normal in keirin, and it’s about whether the rider falls or not,” he said.
Shah Firdaus added that Nakano had already apologised to him personally and that the TikTok account under Nakano’s name which apologised was a fake account.
“That’s not his account. He apologised to me after the race. Me and Nakano are fine and have no problems,” he said.
