PETALING JAYA: National sprinter Mohd Azeem Fahmi is finally back where he believes he belongs to be among the fastest men on the track.
The 22-year-old equalled his national record of 10.09s to qualify for the NCAA Championships after an impressive performance in the preliminary rounds in Lexington, Kentucky.
Competing for Auburn University, Azeem finished third in heat three of the quarter-finals with a season-best time, earning a place among the top 12 sprinters advancing to the championships in Eugene, Oregon, from June 10-13.
It is also the first time that he will be competing in the individual 100m event of the NCAA Championships, since enrolling at Auburn in 2023.
Penn State’s Ajani Dwyer won the heat in 9.99s while Tennessee’s Traunard Folson came in second with 10.04s.
An emotional Azeem described the achievement as a major relief after a long wait to match the mark he first set 1,396 days ago.
“Right now, there are no words to describe how happy and grateful I am.
“After 1,396 days since setting the national record, I’ve finally managed to run that time again,” said Azeem.
The Perak-born sprinter, however, believes there is still room for improvement despite the outstanding run.
“It was not even my best race because there are still things I need to fix, especially in the last 20 metres. I need to stay relaxed and finish stronger,” he added.
Azeem said the performance comes at the perfect time as he prepares for a busy season that includes the Asian Under-23 Championships and the Asian Games later this year.
The former world junior finalist also urged Malaysians to continue supporting him and the national sprint squad ahead of the NCAA semi-finals.
“We are happy with this result, but we cannot let it get into our heads because the job is not done yet. Hopefully, in Oregon, my team and I can do something special.
“I hope Malaysians will continue to support and pray for me. That means a lot to us,” he said.
Azeem first set the national record of 10.09s at the World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia, in 2022.
Other Auburn athletes who qualified for the NCAA Championships were Kanyinsola Ajayi (9.84s), Israel Okon (9.99s), Tyler Davis (10.07s) and Omari Lewis (10.12s).
