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