Cycling

Fadhil raises his game for gold

Fadhil Zonis proved his silver medal in the men's one-kilometre time trial on Friday was no fluke as he went one better by clinching gold in the keirin at the UCI Nations Cup in Hong Kong on Saturday.

Fadhil only managed fifth in his opening heat and was forced to go through the repechage route to make the final at the Hong Kong Velodrome.

He opened up a substantial lead in the early laps of the keirin final.

Although the chasers were able to close down the distance in the (final lap) bell, it was already too late for them to deny Fadhil the gold.

The Selangor-born crossed the line first ahead of favoured Japanese duo Yuta Wakimoto and Yudai Nitta, who settled for second and third.

Wakimoto had won silver in the keirin at the Berlin World Championships last year and is a four-time Asian Championships gold medallist in the discipline.

Nitta had won the keirin silver at the 2019 Pruszkow World Championships.

Wakimoto, however, got his revenge on Fadhil in yesterday's individual sprint quarter-finals with a 2-0 win.

The Japanese star had defeated Malaysia's Ridwan Sahrom in the last 16.

Fadhil's 9.997s had placed him ninth in the qualifying round while Ridwan was 18th (10.421s.)

In the women's competition, Anis Amira Rosidi also did well to clinch a bronze in the 500m time trial on Saturday after clocking 35.493s.

Italian Miriam Vece (34.022s) took the win while Spain's Helena Casas Roige (34.903s) was second.

Anis's campaign in the keirin yesterday, however, came to an early end after failing to progress from the opening round.

She finished fifth in her heat.

The Hong Kong Velodrome is the same venue Azizulhasni had won his keirin world title in 2017.

"It feels like a dream," said Fadhil after winning the keirin gold on Saturday.

"I am over the moon as I never thought I could be on the podium back-to-back.

"It feels like repeating what Azizulhasni did here (2017) in Hong Kong but a different competition."

Compatriot Azizulhasni Awang said: "Congratulations to Fadhil for winning gold in the keirin and also to Anis for her bronze effort in the time trial.

"This makes Fadhil only the third Malaysian to have won a gold at the World Cup or Nations Cup level after myself and Rizal Tisin.

"Welcome to the club Fadhil."

The final leg this year will be held in Cali, Colombia on June 3-6.

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