KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — National track cyclist Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang may have been too focused on strategy till he unintentionally passed the pacer in the first heat of the men’s keirin event at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris yesterday, said former national track cyclist Mohammad Rizal Tisin.
He said the strategy was good but Azizulhasni, as a highly experienced competitor, should have been careful with his movements so that he would not breach race rules, as there might have been unavoidable issues that caused the cyclist to make the mistake.
“Every cyclist has to know the rules but maybe he was too focused on his plan and inadvertently made the mistake because of several disturbances. If we look at Mohd Azizulhasni’s statement, the mistake was due to continuous blocking by French cyclist Rayan Helal.
“The pacer was also moving rather slowly. Azizul did not have any problems previously, but this matter cannot be controlled,” Rizal told Bernama today.
Meanwhile, local sports analyst Datuk Pekan Ramli said the mistake might have occurred as the 36-year-old felt pressured or was too ambitious to ensure he finished the first heat.
“Such an experienced keirin cyclist should not make such mistakes. If we talk about the four years before Paris with expenses incurred, with the preparation and training and his bad health experience,” he said.
He added that Azizulhasni also did not have to force himself to continue to compete after this when asked about whether the cyclist could carry on with his cycling career till the Los Angeles Olympics.
“It is up to Azizulhasni whether he wants to carry on as an athlete. Imagine for the sprint, how much energy is needed even though we see he is well, we see he has the energy but we do not know his body fitness,” Pekan said.
Meanwhile, three-time Olympian Josiah Ng also expressed his surprise at what happened to Aziziulhasni yesterday, describing it as a nightmare for local fans.
“If I could guess as to what happened, it looked like the pressure got to both of them (Azizulhasni and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom). I do not know what he (Azizulhasni) was doing, he did not need to go early.
“ I think the pressure got to him. I mean, it is a big pressure to bring home our first gold medal. And I saw Shah’s face, and I knew when Aizazul went in, Shah was affected. And that is why Shah raced like a beginner,” he added.
Malaysia’s dream of winning its first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics was dashed when Azizulhasni was disqualified from the first heat of the men’s keirin event at Velodrome Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines for unintentionally overtaking the derny (pacer bicycle).
Malaysia’s chef-de-mission Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin later said the appeal against Azizulhasni’s disqualification was denied by the Chief Commissioner and the world cycling body UCI representative maintained the disqualification.
— Bernama
