KUALA LUMPUR: National women’s track cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri has her own method of dealing with the jitters ahead of her unexpected debut in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Nurul Izzah said that listening to pop music is one way to calm herself when thinking about the Olympics, which is less than two months away.
“I want to reduce my nervousness because I expected to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but surprisingly, I made it to Paris 2024.
“Undoubtedly, this is one of the best moments in my life, and I need to change my mentality - chill and enjoy the race. For now, I listen to pop songs and practise breathing techniques because it’s also a method to control nervousness,“ she said in a recent interview.
The 20-year-old athlete from Kedah also hopes to increase her muscle mass during the final training phase for the 2024 Olympics in Europe next month.
The Pocket Rocketwoman said she needs to maintain a proper diet with a focus on protein intake to strengthen her muscles for competing against the world’s best at the Velodrome Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines later.
The Olympics will be held from July 26 to Aug 11.
