PETALING JAYA — After winning three gold medals at the Taiwan Cup Track International Classic I & 11, Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom feels optimistic ahead of the World Cup series which starts at the end of this month.
Shah Firdaus ended his Taiwan campaign with stellar results by winning two sprint events as well as keirin.
“I will head back to my training base in Melbourne,” he said when contacted. “The win boosted my confidence ahead of the World Cup series. I will be in Colombia for the first mission,” he said.
“My aim is to get the best result at the World Cup.”
The World Cup series starts with the first leg in Cali, Colombia, from Oct 30 to Nov 1.
The second leg will be in Cambridge, New Zealand, on Dec 5-6 while the third and final round will be in Hong Kong on Jan 16-17.
When asked about his performance in Taiwan, Shah Firdaus said the race was a platform for exposure.
“Coach (John Beasley) did not set any target as this is part of my training for the World Cup.
“I need a lot of exposure after my doping ban last year. The race helped me to improve and gather experience. Fortunately, I am able to perform well.”
Shah Firdaus was banned for 12 months after dexamethasone was found in his system at the Perlis Malaysia Games last year. The ban was lifted on May 31.
Upon his return, Shah Firdaus immediately collected two bronze at the Bejing GP.
He then bagged a gold and a silver medal at the recent Southeast Asian GP in Kuala Lumpur.
