Arnaz M. Khairul
arnaz@ustp.com.my
THE Lauretta Eva Adrian versus Jupha Somnet show rocked the Kuala Lumpur Velodrome yesterday as the two juniors took one apiece in their sprint showdown in the inaugural KL Open Track Championships.
Perlis rider Jupha snatched the women's Under-21 200m sprint victory from her Sabahan understudy Lauretta in their first showdown of the day, as the other promising sprinter, 16-year-old Ummi Hamimah Mohamad had little trouble disposing off Johor's Nurul Sakinah Abdul Karim in their shootout for third place.
Later in the day, the top junior trio met again in the women's keirin final and this time the order was 17-year-old Lauretta ahead of Jupha followed by Ummi Hamimah as they showed they were in a class of their own.
Ummi Hamimah said she was satisfied with her performance thus far in the KL Open despite not managing a victory.
"I'm not too far behind Jupha and Lauretta. In fact it was very close between Luaretta and myself in the sprint semi-final. I am saving my best for the Malaysia Games, but being younger than the top two, I'm not rushing. I will try my best to keep improving and catch up to them," said Ummi Hamimah.
In the men's Under-21 sprint events, national junior rider Fattah Amri Zaid of Kedah, made up for his disappointment at being ousted from the 200m sprint final by beating the field to take victory in the keirin final.
Malacca's national junior Mohd Arfy Qhairant Amran, who beat Fattah in the semi-finals on Tuesday, needed three heats to overcome Johor's Fakhruddin Daud in the 200m sprint final, while Fattah lost the third place shootout to Selangor's Mohd Elmi Jumari.
RESULTS -- Men's Under-21 keirin: 1 Fattah Amri Zaid (Ked), 2 Mohd Elmi Jumari (Sel), 3 Mohd Arfy Qhairant Amran (Mal); 200m sprint-- Final: Mohd Arfy Qhairant Amran (Mal) bt Fakhruddin Daud (Joh) 2-1, Third: Mohd Elmi Jumari (Sel) bt Fattah Amri Zaid (Ked) 2-1; Open -- Points race: 1 Ahmad Fallanie Ali (KL) 49 points, 2 Ahmad Fakhrullah Alias (Pah) 42, 3 Shahrul Mat Amin (Ter) 38;
Women's Under-21 keirin: 1 Lauretta Eva Adrian (Sab), 2 Jupha Somnet (Per), 3 Ummi Hamimah Mohamad (Ter); 200m sprint -- Final: Jupha Somnet (Per) bt Lauretta Eva Adrian (Sab) 2-0, Third: Ummi Hamimah Mohamad (Ter) bt Nurul Sakinah Abdul Karim (Joh) 2-0; Points race: 1 Nurul Sakinah Abdul Karim (Joh) 44 points, 2 Mardiana Mohd Radzi (Ked) 29, 3 Nur Farah Ain Amran (Sel) 2.
