HANGZHOU: National sailor Nur Shazrin Mohamad Latif is unlikely to have any trouble continuing her good run even though she went up against some stiff competition at the Ningbo Xiangshan Sailing Centre, around 170 kilometres from here, yesterday.
Nur Shazrin who performed excellently in the previous four ILCA 6 races ended in fourth position in the seven race for the first time after finishing fifth and sixth in the third and first races and managed to top the standings ahead of second-placed Singaporean Victoria Chan and Stephanie Norton of Hong Kong, who finished third.
2022 Hangzhou Asian Games sailing squad manager Lawrance Yeow said that Nur Shazrin would be able to maintain her momentum till Friday's medal race, even though luck was not quite at her side today.
"If she can have a good lead, the medal race is nothing. Hopefully she can retain her momentum and nothing is impossible. If the weather doesn't change it will be a good race for her and so far it has been good, not too strong nor too light," he told Bernama yesterday.
Nur Shazrin will continue with her remaining races on Monday.
Meanwhile, Lawrence did not reject the possibility that another national sailor Tengku Nurani Ezaty Tengku Khairudeen had the chance of at least the bronze in the women's RS:X event if she also is able to maintain her form after ending third in the standings yesterday.
Tengku Nurani finished third in her seventh and eighth race, edging Indian sailor Ishwariya Ganesh, who fell to fourth.
Another sailor with a shot at a podium finish is Muhammad Asnawi Iqbal Adam in the men's ILCA 4 event, he is currently fourth after six races, winning the fifth race, but ending sixth in the following race.
"So the current prospects for bronze are Nur Shazrin, Tengku Nurani and Muhammad Asnawi. Khairulnizam's (Khairulnizam Mohd Affendy) chances are fading, but he still can fight but it's an uphill task," Lawrence said.
Two-time Asian Games silver medalist Khairulnizam placed eighth in the fifth and six races and then finished seventh in the seventh race today.– BERNAMA