Confident Josiah
Malaysian aims to get it right at world meet for the first time
PETALING JAYA: Cycling coach John Beasley turns 50 today and cyclist Josiah Ng, who has been the longest with him, is raring to go and make it a memorableble occasion at the World Trackck Championships in Melbourne.
Josiah hasn’t had much luckuck at previous world meets butt he is hopeful of getting his act rightght this time.
The 32-year-old, who is also the reigning Asian keirin champion, underlined his intention byy putting up the eighth fastest splitplit time amongst all the riders in the team sprint field on Wednesday.
Interestingly, Josiah, as the third rider, clocked a faster time of 13.578 than the second rider Mohdhd Edrus Yunos (13.629).
It is unusual for the last riderder to do a negative split from thee second rider but Josiah was just happy to have done his part for thehe team sprint.
“The coach put me in to helpelp boost the team’s spirit. It was notot a bad time and I did the eighth fasteststest split time of all the riders. I wentnt faster than the second rider. I’m ready for Sunday,” said Josiah, who iss looking forward to the keirin event this Sunday.
Josiah is not doing the sprint as he is only focusing on the keirin, where he is fighting to earn the right to ride at the London Olympics in July.
Also down for the keirin is twotime World Championships silver medallist Azizulhasni Awang and Mohd Edrus.
Malaysia already secured a quota spot for the Olympics by virtue of their fourth position in the nation rankings behind France, Australia and Britain respectively.
“We are the top ranked Asian country in keirin and it will make John really happy if one of us can get a medal again,” said Josiah, who made the keirin final at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
“In fact, the field here is even tougher than the Olympics. Everyone is here while only one rider from each country can ride attheolympics. But I’m ready to fight for a medal.”
Josiah has had his share of spills and broken bones when it comes to the world meet.
He was eliminated in the early rounds in Apeldoorn last year. In the 2010 championships in Copenhagen, he cut in too fast into Olympic champion Chris Hoy’s path in the first round, causing both to crash.
Josiah was left fuming when he was disqualified and the Briton went on to win the first-round heat to eventually take the world title.
In the 2007 edition in Madrid, Josiah dislocated his collarbone, also in the first round, and was out for three months.