Fadhil on a mission
Track cyclist aims to smash nine-year-old national record
PETALING JAYA: Track cyclist Mohd Fadhil Mohd Zonis wants to repay coach John Beasley’s faith in him by smashing the men’s elite 1km time trial national record at the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) Championships in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.
The 20yearold has been selected over Muhd Shah Firdaus Sahrom to be the nation’s representative for the 1km time trial event at the Asian meet from Feb 1620, which kickstarts the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualification period for track cycling.
The 1km time trial is no longer an Olympic event but it is still a priority for Malaysia ahead of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April.
Fadhil will take a shot at breaking Rizal Tisin’s national record of 1:01.658.
Rizal set the record when he took bronze in the World Track Cycling Championships in Poland in 2009.
“My target this year is to break Rizal’s national record,” said Fadhil.
“It is the oldest existing national record for track cycling. I will try to break it at the Asian championships as the velodrome in Nilai is a fast track.
“I came close at the KL SEA Games last year.
“I’m happy the coach has given me the chance to ride the 1km time trial,” said Fadhil, who clocked 1:01.889 when he bagged gold ahead of Shah Firdaus at the KL Games.
It was not his only gold as Fadhil also joined hands with Muhd Khairil Nizam Rasol and Mohd Shariz Efendi Mohd Shahrin to win the men’s team sprint.
The trio have been training in Melbourne after the KL Games.
“It will be a tougher challenge for the Commonwealth Games as we probably have to go a second faster to be in medal contention.
“If I can clock a fast time at the Asian championships, I am optimistic I’ll be in good shape heading to the Commonwealth Games,” said Fadhil, who previously won gold in the men’s junior 1km time trial event in the 2015 edition of the Asian meet in Korat, Thailand.