Magnificent seven (SEPTEMBER 17 - 23)
Adi leads golden charge as Malaysia make clean sweep at track
MALAYSIAN para cyclists rocked the National Velodrome in Nilai with a stunning cleann sweep of all seven golds on the first day of the track cycling competition in the Asean Para Games.
In one fell swoop, Malaysia have surpassed their six-gold target yesterday. Seven more golds are up for grabs today.
Form Five student Adi Raimie Amizazahan got the ball rolling by winning the men’s (C1/C2/C3) 1km time trial in a new personal best of 1:17.232. Compatriot Mohd Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin bagged the silver in 1:18.735 with the bronze going to Singaporean Tan Hun Boon who clocked 1:48.672.
The C category is for a cyclist who has upper or lower limb disability or severe neurological dysfunction.
The 17-year-old Adi, who became paralysed on one side of his body after a playground accident when he was six years old, was delighted to become the nation’s first gold medallist at the Games.
“I am proud of myself because I improved on my personal best by five seconds.
“I previously clocked 1:22.565 to finish eighth at the World Track Para Cycling Championships (in Los Angeles, the United States, in March this year).
“To set a new national record and winning the first gold for Malaysia, I can’t ask for more.
“I seldom go to school because of preparations for the Asean Para Games in the past few months, so this win means a lot to me,” said the SMK Kampung Pandan student, who joined the para track cycling training programme last year.
Mohd Najib Turano bagged Malaysia’s second gold after he clocked 1:12.771 to win the men’s (C4) 1km time trial.
Malaysia also secured the silver through Hafiz Jamali who clocked 1:16.493. Indonesia’s Fadli Immuddin clocked 1:17.444 to take the bronze.
The third gold came from Zuhairie Ahmad Tarmizi who clocked 1:09.690 to win the men’s (C5) 1km time trial ahead of Eustaquio Bucay of the Philippines (1:15.432) and Indonesian Sufyan Saori (1:19.170).
Nur Azlia Syafinaz-Adilla Noraidillina went on to clinch the fourth gold after beating Singapore’s Emily Lee-Sarah Tan in two heats in the women’s (B) tandem sprint final.
Afiq Afify Rizan-Khairul Adha Rasol then beat compatriots Mohd Amin Najmi Romzi-Mohd Firdaus Mohd Zonis, also in two heats, to win the men’s (B) tandem sprint gold.
The celebrations did not end there as Nur Azlia-Adilla make it gold No. 6 for Malaysia and their second for the Games by winning the women’s (B) 1km time trial in 1:19.359, ahead of teammates Nur Syahida Tajudin-Nur Rozi Yanti Mat Rodzi (1:20.353).
Afiq-Khairul, the bronze medallists at this year’s World Track Para Cycling Championships in Los Angeles, also savoured their second gold at the Games after romping to a superb 1:04.236 in the men’s (B) 1km time trial.
Amin-Firdaus secured the silver for Malaysia in 1:07.182.