Gillian strikes gold at Asian championships

KUALA LUMPUR: Azizulhasni Awang has cautioned fans not to anticipate his peak performance at the upcoming Asian Championships, set to take place from January 31 to February 6 in Nilai. This event holds significant importance for the national squad, as achieving success will help them qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Each winning athlete earns 600 UCI points, a substantial amount.

Azizulhasni recently confirmed his participation in the National Velodrome, stating, "With God's will, I will be racing (in Nilai)." The athlete has been emphasizing the need for a strategic approach in the upcoming year. He explained, "The plan for next season is to pull back a bit because I have had a very busy season this year. It is time to go hard in training next year and go through a very heavy training load to put on muscle and gain weight."

If Azizulhasni doesn't follow this approach next year, he may struggle to achieve optimal performances in the 2028 Olympics. The rider admitted that fans might notice a slight decline in his performances next year, which may not be as impressive as his current level. However, this is a calculated sacrifice, as it is the only time he can undertake a heavy training load.

Despite having gone through this journey five times already, the 38-year-old rider is confident in his ability to draw from his experience and achieve his goal of competing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.