KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — National track cycling champion Mohd Azizul Hasni Awang continues to make Malaysia proud when he won the bronze medal in the keirin event final in the Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
In the action at The Velodrom, Berlin, early this morning, the Dungun-born racer was in the best position to win a gold or silver medal but his progress was blocked upon being in contact with British cyclist Jack Carlin.
The gold medal went to Harrie Levreysen of the Netherlands who was the first racer to cross the finish line with a time of 9.861 seconds, followed by Japan’s Yuta Wakimoto.
Commenting on his race today, Azizulhasni, nicknamed The Pocket Rocketman, said he had been drawn at the front three times when the race started, but tactically it did not favour him.
“In the final, my initial plan with the team was to get the best position before the sprint started but all the racers waited at the back. When the race entered the second last round, I tried to sprint when I saw movements from behind.
“But I was boxed in and was involved with a grazing incident with British rider (Jack Carlin) which retarded my pedalling at that moment. I noticed two riders were already ahead and I tried to catch up, waiting for the right moment to overtake.
“Unfortunately, once again I was hemmed in at the last bend when trying to overtake and had to settle for the bronze medal. I am thankful at winning the bronze medal,” he was quoted as saying on his Instagram @azizulhasniawang today.
The win today was the sixth medal for Azizul at the Track Cycling World Championships whereby he created history when winning the gold medal in Hong Kong at the 2017 edition in the keirin event.
He won the silver medal in the championship Poland in 2009 in the sprint event, and repeated it the following year in Copenhagen, Denmark in the keirin event.
Azizul also earned the bronze medals in Paris in 2015 and the 2016 edition in London in the keirin event. — Bernama
