Tokyo Olympics: Cyclist Shah Firdaus taken to hospital after crash

TOKYO: National track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who was involved in a crash during the first round of the men's keirin race at the Izu Velodrome today, has been taken to the Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital for further treatment.

Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) vice-president Datuk Amarjit Singh Gill said the cyclist was rushed to the hospital after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics organising committee's medical team found that the 25-year-old's oxygen level was low.

The cyclist, who hails from Muar, Johor, collided with Great Britain's Jack Carlin in Heat Two of the first round earlier today.

"After the collision, Shah Firdaus complained of pain on his left ribs, but he still wanted to continue to race in the repechages," Amarjit said when contacted here.

Amarjit, who is also in Shizuoka, which is about 175 kilometres from here, said the medical team at the hospital was still conducting further examinations on Muhammad Shah Firdaus.

"For now, we don't know his condition yet," he said.

Earlier, in Heat Two of the first round, the 25-year-old Muhammad Shah Firdaus, who is making his Olympic debut, was trying to squeeze through a gap when the accident occurred. Kazakhstan's Sergey Ponomaryov then crashed into the fallen Malaysian.

The race had to be restarted after all the heats had been completed but the injured Muhammad Shah Firdaus and Ponomaryov were forced to pull out.

But it did not stop Muhammad Shah Firdaus from producing a spirited and powerful performance in the first round repechage to finish second behind Kwesi Browne of Trinidad and Tobago and join teammate Azizulhasni Awang in the quarter-finals.

National keirin ace Azizulhasni had earlier sealed his spot in the quarter-finals when he won Heat Three of the first round.

In the quarter-finals on Sunday (Aug 8), Azizulhasni is in Heat Three with Matthew Glaetzer (Australia), Stefan Boetticher (Germany), Yuta Wakimoto (Japan), Denis Dmitriev (Russian Olympic Committee) and Kwesi.

Muhammad Shah Firdaus will battle it out with Carlin in Heat Two, together with Maximilian Levy (Germany), Callum Saunders (New Zealand), Jair Tjon En Fa (Suriname) and Nicholas Paul (Trinidad and Tobago).

-- BERNAMA