After testing the Izu Velodrome for the first time yesterday, coach John Beasley believes his cyclists stand a good chance of setting a new Asian record in the Olympic individual sprint.
The high-altitude velodrome will work just fine for in-form Azizulhasni Awang and Shah Firdaus Sahrom, and Beasley anticipates some fast times from the duo during Wednesday's event.
The Pocket Rocketman holds the Asian 200m record of 9.548 seconds which he set at last year's Berlin World Championships. Shah had clocked 9.609s at the same meet.
World champion Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands on Friday said he found the Izu Velodrome track to be 'super fast'.
Beasley stressed that the keirin on Aug 7-8 remains their main focus.
However, their performances in the sprint will be a good indicator ahead of the keirin challenge.
Azizulhasni and Shah completed their first training session on the track yesterday.
"I think most of the riders find it the same (fast)," said Beasley when contacted in Izu yesterday.
"The track is slightly wider than other tracks at 7.5 metres which helps with (banking) transitions. Most tracks are usually about 6m wide.
"The Izu Velodrome is also located slightly higher at 600m (altitude), so the air density is lower. But it is not high enough to feel the physical effects of high altitude.
"The barometric pressure here is 960 hectopascal (hPa) compared with normal sea-level velodromes, which is about 1,020hPa. It is this lower air density that makes this track faster.
"I am confident that we can lower the Asian record because the boys are in good form at the moment.
"For most of the year, their performances have been suppressed by heavy training loads, but they have had the chance to rest, and we are hoping to see some strong performances here."
The Izu Velodrome is not considered a bona fide high-altitude track though its mild elevation is enough to give riders an advantage.
By comparison, the Aguascalientes Velodrome in Mexico, where numerous records have been set, sits at 1,880m above sea level.
Azizulhasni is no stranger to competing at the Izu Velodrome. He had won two bronze medals at the 2016 Asian Championships at the velodrome, though the track has been resurfaced since then.