KUALA LUMPUR: Former short-track speed skater-turned-cyclist Lau New Joe delivered Malaysia's first medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday.
New Joe came in third in the men's road race in a time of one hour, 33 minutes and 25 seconds to claim the bronze. Teammate Hafiz Mohd Jafri finished 11th (1:33:55s) in the 65 kilometre race.
Northern Ireland's Oisin Ferrity edged Wales' Max Bufton in the sprint for gold (1:33:05s).
New Joe was thrilled to secure Malaysia it's first medal at the games. The 18-year-old had focused on skating in his earlier years before making the switch to cycling in 2020. He has only been racing competitively for a year.
"I was not expecting to finish on the podium as this is the first time I have raced outside of Malaysia," said New Joe today.
"The weather here is quite similar to Malaysia, so it was not hard for me to adapt."
New Joe, who is one of 14 Malaysian athletes competing in Trinidad and Tobago, had earlier on Saturday finished 12th in the men's individual time trial after clocking 20:48:42s. He will compete in the track events - points race and scratch race - later this week.