NILAI: National women’s track cycling star Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri hopes she can adapt more quickly to new race environments when she competes in the Paris 2024 Olympics this July.
The 21-year-old athlete admitted she was not at her best during the recent Japan Track Cup series because she was not familiar with the track conditions and race environment there.
“In Japan, I was somewhat disappointed. I felt I could go faster, but my times were slower than before. I sometimes struggled to read the track to get used to the new environment.
“I’m not like Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Saharom, who use their experience to adapt to different environments,” she told reporters at the 2024 National Track Cycling Championships at the National Velodrome here.
The Kedah-born athlete said she would try to overcome this issue by discussing it with national cycling head coach John Beasley and getting tips from senior riders, especially Mohd Azizulhasni.
Nurul Izzah also wants to use the national track championships to rectify the weaknesses she detected during the recent race in Japan.
“Among other things, I need to stay composed and not get flustered during races. The competition abroad is stiffer so I get rattled easily. I also want to strengthen my racing tactics, especially in the keirin event,“ she said.
Nurul Izzah, nicknamed The Pocket Rocket Woman, won two gold medals in the sprint and keirin events at the ASEAN Track President’s Cup 2 Series earlier this month.
She also made headlines by winning the keirin at the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) in India before qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics in February.
She will accompany Mohd Azizulhasni and Muhammad Shah Firdaus to the Paris Olympics.
