Shah Firdaus crashes in final, shattering Olympic dream

August 12, 2024

Shah Firdaus crashes in final, shattering Olympic dream

PETALING JAYA: National track cyclist Shah Firdaus Sahrom crashed in the final lap of the men’s keirin final at the Paris Olympics today, shattering Malaysia’s hopes of a first ever Olympic gold medal.

Shah Firdaus was relegated for “moving towards the inside of the track when an opponent was already there”.

The result brings down the curtain on Malaysia’s Olympic Games campaign, with only two bronze medals to show. They were won by badminton singles ace Lee Zii Jia and doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.

Yesterday, Malaysia’s gold medal hopes had ridden with national track cycling champion Azizulhasni Awang in the men’s keirin, but he was disqualified after overtaking the derny before it pulled off the track.

The keirin gold medal was won by Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands, with Australians Matthew Richardson and Matthew Glaetzer taking silver and bronze.

Minister blasts relegation decision

After the race, Shah Firdaus was complimented by investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz for giving it his all at the final. “Thank you Shah Firdaus, you’ve done your best. We’ll try again at the Los Angeles Olympics,” he said

But the minister also accused the Olympic cycling commissaire of being biased in his decision to relegate Shah Firdaus.

“Another decision by the commissaire that was biased and not on Malaysia’s side,” he said in a post on the X social media app, in a reference that included the decision yesterday to disqualify Malaysia’s keirin star Azizulhasni Awang.

Earlier today, former sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin also accused cycling officials of bias against Azizulhasni. He said there was a clear precedent that a warning could have been given instead of outright disqualification.