Azizulhasni wins gold, a record ninth in Asian Cycling Championship
CYCLING
Saturday, 12 Jan 201911:29 PM MYT
by lim teik huat
PETALING JAYA: Azizulhasni Awang has claimed a record ninth career Asian Cycling Championships gold medal with a come-from-behind win in the men's elite sprint in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Azizul had to fight his way back to beat China's top sprinter Xu Chao in a photo finish in the deciding heat to claim his fifth Asian championships sprint title today (Jan 12).
Azizul lost the first shootout in the final, but did not give up and took the fight to Xu Chao in the second.
Azizul won and eventually prevailed in a nail-biting third encounter, which was only decided by photo finish.
Azizul had also won the keirin in 2007, 2008 and 2015, apart from a successful team sprint challenge in 2009.
Training partner Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom also claimed the bronze with a superb performance to beat defending champion Kazunari Watanabe of Japan in two heats earlier.
Azizul defeated Shah Firdaus in two heats, while Xu CHao earned his shot at gold after beating Watanabe in similar fashion.
Azizul did not start well, as he only managed to finish 10th in the qualifying rounds earlier in the day.
China had the two fastest sprinters in the fray in qualification in Xu Chao (9.846) and Zhou Yu (9.950); followed by Japan with Nitta Yudai (10.001) and Fukaya Tomohiro (10.038).
Shah Firdaus Sahrom placed sixth with 10.094.
Shah Firdaus's younger brother Mohd Ridwan Sahrom clinched the bronze in the men's junior sprint after beating fellow Malaysian Fariz Haikal Mohd Kadir in two heats
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/cycling/2019/01/12/azizulhasni-wins-gold-a-record-ninth-in-asian-cycling-championship/#6b3qU5Azk9uPuePQ.99
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