NILAI, Feb 20 — A lingering knee injury may have forced national track cyclist Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom to switch to a smaller gear, but he refuses to let it slow him down at the 2025 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ATC).
The 29-year-old admitted the adjustment has thrown off his rhythm, making his bike feel lighter and forcing him to rely more on his left leg instead of his dominant right.
However, Firdaus remains determined to push through the setback and deliver a strong performance on home soil.
“The injury is definitely disruptive. With a bigger gear, I could push all the way, but now, acceleration feels sluggish.
“When my right leg comes up first, I cannot push immediately (and) I have to wait for my left leg to catch up. In a sprint, that split-second delay can be costly,” he told Bernama at the National Velodrome ahead of the meet, which kicks off tomorrow until Thursday (February 27).
Firdaus added that post-training discussions with his team are key to fine-tuning his performance, especially in selecting the right gear to maximise speed and efficiency.
He also identified Japan as a major threat, highlighting its reputation for producing top-tier sprinters.
“Japan usually fields three riders in the keirin, but this time, they have only sent two. That is a small advantage for us because having three of them in the final would make things much harder,” Firdaus said.
Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic, seeing this competition as a stepping stone toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
National track cycling head coach Harnizam Basri has confirmed that Firdaus will compete in both the individual sprint and keirin events.
— Bernama
