KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 – National track cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri created a sensation by ending a 12-year gold drought in the women’s keirin event for Malaysia at the 2024 Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) in New Delhi, India on Sunday.
The 20-year-old rider mustered a powerful performance to overcome China’s Tong Mengqi who took silver while another Malaysian cyclist, Anis Amira Rosidi, secured the bronze medal in the competition held at the Indira Gandhi Velodrome.
Nurul Izzah’s success on the fifth day of the championship saw her adding more medals to her collection after winning bronze in the women’s sprint event on Friday and silver in the women’s team sprint alongside Anis Amira and Nurul Aliana Syafika Azizan on Wednesday.
The last time Malaysia won gold in the women’s keirin was at the 2012 edition at the Cheras Velodrome, here, through Fatehah Mustapa.
Meanwhile, the momentum of Nurul Izzah’s brilliance could not be carried forward by the country’s representative in the men’s keirin event, as Muhammad Ridwan Sahrom only managed to secure fifth place, while Kento Yamasaki from Japan clinched gold, followed by Li Zhiwei from China with silver, and bronze for Tsun Ho Yung from Hong Kong.
Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom also faced misfortune as he failed to qualify for the men’s keirin final and only finished in seventh place in the seventh-ninth place race.
Meanwhile, the national para-cycling squad dominated the podium positions for both the men’s and women’s tandem sprint B (visually impaired) competitions.
Ahmad Ahlami Mohamadi, accompanied by his pilot Muhammad Khairul Adha, secured the gold medal in the men’s tandem B sprint by defeating their teammates, Mohd Khairul Hazwan Wahab assisted by Muhd Arly Qhairant Amran, with a score of 2-0.
Meanwhile, Nur Azlia Syafinaz Mohd Zais, paired with her pilot Farina Shawati Mohd Adnan, contributed the gold medal in the women’s tandem B sprint by achieving a 2-0 victory over Nur Suraiya Muhamad Zamri, who won silver with the assistance of Nurul Suhada Zainal.
