KUALA LUMPUR: Track cyclist Shah Firdaus Sahrom will continue his quest for a medal in the men's keirin when he takes to the track for the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics later today (5.20pm).
Shah has managed to avoid favourites Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands and Australia's Matthew Richardson but his heat is still filled with tough opposition.
He has been placed in heat one alongside Australia's Matthew Glaetzer, James Hedgcock (Canada), Jack Carlin (Great Britain), Israel's Mikhail Yakovlev and Japan's Ota Kaiya.
Carlin has already won a bronze (individual sprint) and silver (team sprint) in Paris while Kaiya set a new Asian 200m record in the individual sprint on Wednesday.
Yakovlev also has serious pace having qualified third behind Richardson and Lavreysen in the individual sprint while Glaetzer is a two-time Commonwealth Games keirin gold medallist.
Only the top-four in each heat qualify for the semi-finals which will be held later today (6.30pm).
Shah will also have to be careful as he has already received one warning for an infraction during his first round heat. A second warning would lead to a disqualification.
Ota and Carlin have also received warnings.
Shah is the only Malaysian remaining in the keirin competition following Azizulhasni Awang's disqualification yesterday.
Azizulhasni, drawn sixth behind the derny, was judged to have overtaken the derny before it left the track during his first round heat.