PARIS: National para cyclist Mohamad Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin remains satisfied with his performance despite failing to qualify for the men’s C1 (physical disability) individual 3000m pursuit final at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games here today.
In the qualifying round held at the Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines Velodrome, about half an hour’s drive from here, Mohamad Yusof Hafizi placed fifth out of seven cyclists overall with a time of 3 minutes 55.254 seconds.
The top two cyclists qualified for the gold medal race, while the third and fourth-best cyclists will compete for the bronze.
Mohamad Yusof Hafizi said the result was still considered good as he managed to improve on his personal best time of 4:01.314s, which he set earlier at the 2024 Para-Cycling Track World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Today’s achievement also saw him improve on his performance from his debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where he finished seventh in the qualifying round.
“I am proud of my effort today and hope to bounce back and not give up easily as I have many more events to participate in here,” he told Malaysian media after today’s race.
The 26-year-old athlete will continue to compete in three other events here: the men’s C1-3 1,000m time trial and two road events—the men’s C1 individual time trial and the men’s C1-3 road race.
Although Mohamad Yusof Hafizi did not meet his initial target of reaching the final, national para-cycling squad head coach Johari Mohd Nayan said he was still grateful that his protégé delivered an encouraging performance by setting a new personal best.
Johari is confident that the athlete from Kuala Kangsar will improve in his attempt to reach the final and make an impact at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
“Today’s achievement is indeed good. In terms of age, he is still young and has the opportunity to improve his performance, increase speed, and build strength in the future,” he said.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, officially opened yesterday, will conclude on Sept 8.
