Sim wins Singapore's first men's cycling SEA Games gold since 1997
Debutant wins Singapore's first men's cycling gold since 1997 with stunning last race
He was outside the podium spots after each of the first three events of the men's omnium at the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
But Singapore cyclist Calvin Sim produced a stunning race in the last event - the 25km points race - to snatch the gold medal at Malaysia's national velodrome in Nilai.
Sim's win is Singapore's first in the sport for the men at the biennial Games since Bernard Wong won the points race at the 1997 Games in Jakarta.
The SEA Games debutant could not be reached for comment last night.
Sim, who turns 28 next month, was eighth after the first event - the scratch 10km - while teammate Goh Choon Huat was fourth.
But the Republic's track captain for the SEA Games gave himself a fighting chance when he won the second event - the 10km tempo race - while Goh was eighth.
The 40 points Sim earned from the second event propelled him to fifth place overall, while Indonesia's Aiman Cahyadi, Malaysia's Sofian Nabil Omar Bakri (both on 72 points) and Thailand's Patompob Phonarjthan (68 points) were in the podium positions.
Sim maintained his fifth position after the third event - the elimination race -with 96 points, but was 16 points behind going into the final event last night - the points race.
The Singaporean then switched up his gear when it mattered most in the 25km, 100-lap race to score a total of 140 points to take home the gold medal.
Malaysia's Sofian had to settle for the silver with 136 points overall, while Indonesia's Nandra Eko Wahyudi (135 points) collected the bronze.
Singapore's Goh was fourth overall with 128 points.
Sim's gold comes after teammate Luo Yiwei won a silver in the women's omnium at the same venue on Sunday.
The Republic last won a cycling title at the biennial SEA Games when Dinah Chan won her individual time trial at the 2013 Games in Myanmar.
The cyclists' haul of a gold and a silver in Malaysia so far is the sport's best showing at the Games since 1971, when they won a gold and five silvers.
The cyclists will be in action again today in four events - the men's team pursuit, women's 500m, men's 1km and men's keirin.
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