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Break the cycle Break the cycle Chance for Azizul to make history as first Asian champion

KEIRIN MEDALLISTS

Last five Olympics Silver (Bri). ■ 2000 Bronze: Kiyofumi Nagai (Jpn). Gold: (Fra). ■ 2012 Silver: Gary Neiwand (Aus). Gold: (Bri). Bronze: (Ger). Silver (Ger). ■ 2004 Bronze: (Nzl), Gold: (Aus). (Ned) photo-finish. Silver: Jose Antonio Escuredo (Spa). ■ 2016 RIO DE JANEIRO Bronze: (Aus). Gold: (Bri). ■ 2008 Silver: Matthijs Buchli (Ned). Gold: Chris Hoy (Bri). Bronze: Azizul hasni Awa ng (Mas).

By LIM TEIK HUAT Riders in the start in a bunch behind a motorised pacemak­ .PETALING JAYA: er bike. The pacemaker will gradual­ History does not ly pick up speed until it hits 50kph favour track cyclist over three laps. Once the pacemaker exits the track, the riders have three ending Malaysia's laps to to the finish line. gold drought. "The long sprint is not easy to use In the Olympic Gaines, no Asian at this high level of competition as has yet to win the keirin. But this is you could burn out easily. exactly the kind of challenge the ',But I foresee everybody going out 33-year-old Pocket Rocketman rel­ early in the final if they are using ishes. bigger gears, so I have to keep up And to beat the best in Tokyo, with them,M said the 2017 world Asian threat: Japan's Yudai Nitta (left) and Yuta Wakimoto. - AFP Azizul has left no stone unturned in champion. his preparations and is now ready 'This is where my heavy gym ses­ with tactics that are difficult to exe­ Azizul, who expects a stiff fight for for any eventualities. sions for the last two years comes in. cute. I don't want to be in a position the gold. Japan's Kiyofumi Nagai became "I'm now almost 10kg heavier which gives me an advantage “Apart from the Europeans, we the first Asian to win a medal in the compared to Rio. A body of my size because I already know I can handle also have to keep an eye on the men's keirin when he took bronze in needs the power to catch the bigger them well. Japanese (Yuta Wakimoto, Yudai the 2008 Beijing Games. and more powerful Europeans/ “I will try situations where I am Nitta) as they will be out to do well at In Rio 2016, it was Azizul's turn added Azizul, who stands at 1.68m. boxed in or find myself caught out. I home. when he fought his way to third. “In the last two weeks, the focus is sometimes sprint early for three laps '(They come with good credentials Azizul, who has exuded a picture on tactics. We have to be ready for right after the pacemaker leaves the as they have won silver medak in of calm before his events, said he is any scenarios. track. the world championships in the last ready for the worst case scenario of “Even during training sessions, “I just want to be prepared to two years. So they will not be taken having to launch an early attack. my aim was not to win but to race react well in split seconds," said lightly.”