KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — National elite sailor Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy hopes to qualify for the men’s Laser Standard final in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil by finishing among the top 20 sailors in the competition.

Khairulnizam had booked his ticket to Rio after winning the men’s Laser Standard gold medal at the ASAF Asian Championship 2016 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March.

"Preparations for Rio is in the final phase and 90 per cent completed. I only need to go to Rio for the final phase early next month. We will be in Rio to start training for about a month at the same competition venue before the start of the Olympics.

"To be able to train at the competition venue for about a month will be sufficient for me although sailors from Europe have been training at the same venue for almost two years.

"Even if we go there early and train, the wind conditions, waves and sea conditions might change during the competition proper because the venue is a tricky one... therefore whoever adapt well to the condition during competition will have an advantage,” he told Bernama, here.

Khairulnizam who trains under coach Mohd Afendy Abdullah said he had received a lot of input from his coach about the venue since Mohd Afendy had carried out a study of the competition venue for four years.

Apart from Khairulnizam, Nur Syazrin Muhamad Latif will also see action in Rio after earning her ticket at the same competition in Abu Dhabi.

Nur Syazrin competes in the women’s Laser Radial.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said the target for both sailors in Rio would be to finish among the top sailors in Asia. — Bernama