PETALING JAYA: Azizulhasni Awang was undoubtedly Malaysia’s standout performer in the track cycling competition at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, but his teammates also made their marks at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri took the spotlight too with her significant strides in her second Commonwealth in Glasgow, reaching the women’s keirin and individual sprint semi-finals.
Her spirited run in the sprint is also something she can be proud of as the smaller-built Asian riders typically struggle to match their larger, more powerful European counterparts in the discipline.
Izzah even managed to win the opener before she eventually lost the next two heats to England’s Sophie Capewell in the semi-finals.
She was beaten in both heats by Rhian Edmunds (Wales) in the bronze medal playoff.
Izzah did not qualify for the first round of the sprint event and did not make it past the first round repechage in the keirin in Birmingham four years ago.
Technical director John Beasley was pleased to see Izzah, only 22, show her true potential after a plateau in her performances over the last two seasons.
“To be brutally honest, I have been a little disappointed with her over the last two years as she had not fulfilled what she is capable of,” he said.
“But she stood up in Glasgow and showed the quality athlete that she is. She raced really well in the sprint and I am very proud of her.
“I think she was the second best rider there but her (lack of) experience let her down. I think the pressure of the occasion got to her.
“I’m still very happy and I hope we will start to see a more consistent Izzah from now on.”
Youngster Nur Alyssa Farid, only 20, also did well to qualify for the first round of the sprint in her Glasgow debut but was shown the exit by Capewell.
Alyssa did not advance past the first round repechage in the keirin.
On the men’s side, Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom was still lacking the acceleration needed to make a real impact but showed positive signs as he won the keirin consolation final (7th-12th) decider and clocked a decent 9.805s in the sprint qualifying round.
Shah Firdaus, who was the keirin bronze medallist in Birmingham, underwent knee surgery late last year and lost significant muscle mass during the recovery process.
“To finish seventh in the keirin shows that he is on the way back to his best.
“In the semi-finals, he just did not back himself enough. But in the seventh-12th place decider, he just rode his own race and was rewarded.”
As for Azizul, it turned out to be a fairytale finish to his Commonwealth Games career as he won the keirin title that had eluded him all these years.
In the track endurance events, it was a Games debut to forget for young rider Lau New Joe.
The 21-year-old was taken to hospital after suffering broken teeth and a torn lip, which required stitches, due to a massive pile-up in the men’s scratch race final.
New Joe landed face-first during the high speed crash.
The next major assignment for the team will be the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games from Sept 19-Oct 4.
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