Tokyo Olympics: Day 12 ends on quiet note for Malaysian contingent

TOKYO: Day 12 of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw national sailors Nuraisyah Jamil-Juni Karimah Noor Jamali end their women's International 470 event with an improved performance but it is Day 13 Wednesday (Aug 4) that holds the promise of a renewed bid for another medal by the national contingent.

Nuraisyah-Juni ended their maiden Olympic campaign in 19th spot out of 21 sailors in the women's International 470 event at the Enoshima Yacht Harbour here.

The pair, who train under national coach Muhammad Sahir A Rahim, accumulated 158 net points after 10 races.

But fret not Malaysians, for a new day - Day 13 (Aug 4) - brings new hope. And all eyes will be on national cyclists Datuk Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom as they suit up for action in the men's sprint event at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka.

They will begin their Tokyo campaign in the qualifying rounds at 3.30 pm local time (2.30 pm Malaysian time), with only the top 24 riders advancing to the round of 32 and then the round of 16 later in the day. The semi-finals and final will be on Friday (Aug 6).

Azizulhasni and Shah Firdaus will also compete in the keirin event on Saturday (Aug 7).

Two more potential Malaysian medallists who will be in action Wednesday (Aug 4) are national divers Pandelela Rinong and Cheong Jun Hoong in the women's 10-metre (m) platform individual event at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre here.

Having failed to bag a medal with Leong Mun Yee in the women's 10m platform synchronised event after finishing eighth, hopes are high that Pandelela and Jun Hoong will come good this time.

They will compete in the qualifying round at 3 pm local time (2 pm Malaysian time), with the top 18 moving into the semi-finals on Thursday (Aug 5).

The final will also be held on the same day.

Meanwhile, top national woman golfer Kelly Tan will be making her second Olympic appearance when she competes in the first round of the individual competition at the Kasumigaseki Country Club in Saitama, about 65 kilometres from here, Wednesday (Aug 4).

Kelly finished 51st in her maiden Olympic campaign at the 2016 Rio edition.

-- BERNAMA