National cyclist, Azizulhasni Awang is gunning to win the keirin gold medal at the Rio Olympics later this year, after impressing at the World Championships earlier this week.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Azizulhasni could only claim a 10th place finish in the event, though he did improve and finish 6th at the London Olympics four years later.
But having won a bronze at the World Championships on Sunday, Azizul is now keen on using the momentum to push for a goal – claiming that nothing will stop from him from pushing hard, not even his age.
“My bronze medal finish at the London World Track Championships last week was a great boost for my Rio Olympics preparations,” Azizulhasni told Utusan Malaysia.
“I will not allow my age (28 years old) to be an impediment in my bid to perform at my best because I have witnessed many athletes achieving excellence above the age of 30,” he added.
“What I have to be careful about though is staying injury-free. I can’t afford to pick up any injury,” he added.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
Having the confidence to win is one thing, but having the ability to perform is more important. No doubt, Azizulhasni has what it takes to claim the gold medal at the Olympics but he should not let his confidence overpower his preparations. The stakes are always high in an event as prestigious as the Olympics. Hence, Azizulhasni should continue working hard and allow no space for complacency to creep into his mind. More importantly, he’s got to find a yardstick and don’t push beyond it, in order to stay fit.
Other posts by Lekshman Subramaniam
