NILAI: National track cycling ace Datuk Azizulhasni Awang (pix) is determined to clinch Malaysia’s first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in his final appearance at the quadrennial event.
The rider nicknamed ‘The Pocket Rocketman’ said he wanted to complete the medal haul at the prestigious Games, having previously won silver and bronze respectively for the keirin event at the Tokyo edition in 2020 and Rio in 2016.
Azizulhasni expressed optimism about securing the gold, citing his improved performance during training sessions with his coach, John Beasley.
“As you enter your 30s, performance tends to decline, but my performance has been consistently improving during training. In my last race in Adelaide, Australia, in February, which can be said to be of the same level as the Olympics, I struggled with pericarditis.
I didn’t train properly, but I still managed to win gold in the keirin and achieved high-level results in the sprint. Just imagine if I train properly, stay healthy, and get enough rest at the Olympics,“ he said.
“I don’t want to waste time, without me telling people my target, everyone must already know I want the gold,“ he told reporters at the Malaysian National Cycling Federation (MNCF) press conference at the National Velodrome here today.
However, the 36-year-old rider said he would respect all the targets set by MNCF and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) for him in Paris later.
In February, Mohd Azizulhasni proved that he still had what it takes by winning gold in the keirin event at the UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup in Adelaide, Australia, beating Japanese cyclists Shinji Nakano and Kaiya Ota, who finished in second and third place, respectively.
At that time, Beasley revealed that Mohd Azizulhasni had to take medication for pericarditis a few weeks before the event.
Meanwhile, Mohd Azizulhasni said that in order to realize his dream of winning gold, he needed to manage his training according to his age and not push himself too hard.
“I need to be wise, train smart according to my age to avoid injuries because, at this age, it’s difficult to recover from injuries,“ he said.
Two other riders who will join Mohd Azizulhasni for track cycling events at the Paris Olympics are Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri.
Five other athletes will also represent Malaysia: Nur Shazrin Mohd Latif (sailing), Johnathan Wong (shooting), Ariana Nur Dania Mohd Zairi (archery), Nur Aisyah Mohd Zubir (road cycling), and Bertrand Rhodict Lises (diving).
The Paris Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 26 to Aug 11.
