Shah Firdaus Sahrom, Malaysia’s top cyclist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, took to Instagram to apologize to the nation after narrowly missing out on a medal in the men’s keirin final.
“I’m sorry, Malaysia,” he wrote, expressing his regret.
The 28-year-old cyclist managed to reach the semifinals in the keirin, marking his best performance in an Olympic Games.
In the semifinal, Shah Firdaus initially placed fourth, which would have meant missing out on the finals.
But he was bumped up to third due to the disqualification of Japan’s Ota Kaiya.
Despite this lifeline, Shah Firdaus’s finals didn’t go as planned.
He was in third place on the final lap, but an unfortunate collision with two other cyclists caused all three to crash out.
The official Olympic website later confirmed that Shah Firdaus was relegated (demoted) during the finals, eventually placing sixth.
During the race, Shah Firdaus drew lane five and was in fourth and fifth positions early on. He gained momentum in the last two laps, even pushing up to third.
But as he attempted to overtake on the inside, Japan’s Shinji Nakano veered out of his lane, leading to a collision with Shah Firdaus and Britain’s Jack Carlin.
As a result, Shah Firdaus missed out on what could have been his first Olympic medal.
He later posted another apology on Instagram, expressing his deep regret to both the country and its people.
Despite the outcome, Shah Firdaus was the only Southeast Asian cyclist to make it to the semifinals and twice set new personal bests at the Olympics. His performance has earned him praise for his efforts.
