Women track cyclists stay close to national record at Asian Games

NAGOYA: National riders Izzah Izzati Asri, Aliana Azizan and Nur Alyssa Farid were not far off the national record en route to qualifying second in the women's team sprint event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today.

The trio clocked 48.187s to place second behind China (46.672s) in the timesheets at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka. Japan were third fastest on 49.843s.

Malaysia's current national record of 48.086s was set by Izzah, Alyssa and Anis Amira Rosidi at the Asian Championships in Tagaytay last year.

Izzah, Aliana and Alyssa will compete in the first round later today.

The top-four from the first round will qualify for the medal rounds, also later today.

Meanwhile, Fadhil Zonis, Ridwan Sahrom and Akmal Jusena settled for sixth in the men's team sprint qualifying round after clocking 44.827s.

As expected, Japan topped the timesheets on 43.301s with China (43.691s) and Kazakhstan (44.328s) in second and third.

Malaysia will face Kazakhstan in the first round later today. The top-four from the first round will advance to the medal rounds, also later today.