PETALING JAYA: Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom has finally nailed the big prize in his track cycling career.
The 29-year-old clinched the men's keirin gold medal at the UCI Track Nations Cup following a superb charge down the finish line at Konya Velodrome tonight.
Shah Firdaus, despite still nursing tendonitis injury in his right knee, gave his best to break ahead of the charging pack to win the keirin race to loud cheers from the crowd.
Former Olympic bronze medallist Sebastien Vigier of France settled for silver while Japan's Shinji Nakano, the newly crowned Asian champion in the keirin in Malaysia last month, took the bronze.
Shah Firdaus reached the final after finishing third in his semi-final heat earlier and saved his best for the final ride.
Shah Firdaus thus made up for the disappointing end to his hopes to give Malaysia a medal in the keirin event at the Paris Olympics last August.
The Johor-born cyclist was in medal contention in Paris but was caught in a crash as the riders headed for the finish line and ended up nursing bruises instead.
