Azizulhasni leads Malaysian charge at tough Shanghai worlds
KUALA LUMPUR: The national track cycling squad is set to face its toughest assignment this year at the World Championships which begins at the Shanghai Velodrome on Chongming Island tomorrow.
Malaysia's national track cycling team faces a challenging World Championship at the Shanghai Velodrome, with the squad undergoing a tough qualifying period for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Former world keirin champion Azizulhasni Awang is the team's top medal contender, having won the overall keirin title in the World Cup series and gold medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
His main rivals in the keirin will be Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands and Matthew Richardson of Australia. While Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who is still recovering from knee surgery, may not compete in individual events, the men's team sprint squad could benefit from his presence. In women's events, Izzah Izzati Asri and Nur Alyssa Farid will aim for an upset in the keirin, having set a new national record and clinched silver in the team sprint at the Asian Games.
The Malaysian team faces a disadvantage compared to European rivals due to the recent Asian Games, but the coaching team aims to maintain their speed despite the tapering effects.
Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
