KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — National track cycling ace Datuk Azizulhasni Awang has attributed his keirin quarter-final exit at the 2026 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai, China, to two incidents in which he was forced wide by a Polish rider.
The Pocket Rocketman said the first incident occurred as he accelerated after entering the first turn, but he managed to continue riding.
However, the same rider then forced him wide again, this time more forcefully, at the third turn, significantly disrupting his momentum and speed and left him finishing last in the quarter-final.
“Had those two incidents not occurred, especially the second one, I am confident I could have sped ahead and qualified for the next round.
“However, such incidents are part and parcel of keirin racing. Anything can happen when six cyclists are competing at the same time. I take full responsibility for my performance,” he said in a post on his Facebook page today.
Commenting on the individual sprint event, Azizulhasni said he managed to surpass his personal target of finishing among the top 10 in qualifying after clocking 9.564 seconds (s) to be placed eighth out of the 33 riders who qualified for the world meet.
He said although he managed to defeat Colombia’s David Ortego in the opening round, he was unable to overcome Britain’s Harry Ledingham-Horn in their second-round race at the Shanghai Velodrome.
“Like I said before, the challenge at this year’s Shanghai World Championships was to maintain peak strength and fitness after a long and demanding season.
“Of course, my performance and preparation for this world meet were not the best compared with competitors from other countries.
“Nevertheless, overall, I achieved my main objective in Shanghai, which was to secure as many qualifying points as possible for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA28),” he said.
He also hoped that Malaysians would continue to give him their full support and follow the team’s journey over the next two seasons as they strive to qualify for the Olympics. — Bernama
