SHIZUOKA, Oct 3 — Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang is prepared to “take a step back” after the World Championships in Shanghai from Oct 14 to 18 to focus on rebuilding his physical and mental foundations in preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games (LA28).

The 38-year-old cyclist said he did not want to rush things in the near future, but would slow down his competitive outings to allow his body and mind to rest before embarking on a new rebuilding phase.

He said the World Championships in Shanghai would be the first qualifying event for LA28, but after that his focus would shift to long-term preparations, including strengthening his fitness foundation and improving his performance in the gym.

“Shanghai is the first (event) for qualification for LA. After that, I have to slow down, get some mental and physical rest before building up again.

“Slowly, slowly, I want to focus on my foundation. I need to improve aspects of my gym work and so on to ensure that over the next one-and-a-half to two years leading up to LA, I can be at my best,” he said when met at the Izu Velodrome here yesterday.

Azizulhasni said the decision to slow down after the World Championships might surprise some people, but the move was important to ensure that his preparations for LA28 were built in a planned manner.

“I need to back off. I hope everyone won’t be surprised if I back off a little after the World Championships because I really need to be in the building phase for LA, insya-Allah,” he said.

The Pocket Rocketman said his focus from now on would not merely be on chasing results in the short term, but on ensuring that every aspect of his preparations was strengthened gradually to reach his best level ahead of LA28.

Yesterday, Azizulhasni made history at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games by repeating his success in winning the men’s keirin gold medal at the 2010 edition in Guangzhou.

The achievement saw him conclude his Asian Games career with an overall haul of three gold, one silver and two bronze medals throughout his participation in the Games. — Bernama