KUALA LUMPUR – National track cycling head coach, John Beasley, is hopeful that his protege, Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri, will capitalise on her brief training stint in Melbourne alongside world champion cyclist Datuk Azizulhasni Awang in preparation for the upcoming UCI Track Nations Cup in Milton, Canada, scheduled for tomorrow.
Speaking to Scoop, Beasley acknowledges that Izzah’s journey to Milton will entail a longer flight journey from the southern hemisphere, but the Australian coach emphasises the immense value of every moment Izzah spends training alongside Azizul.
In addition to Izzah, Beasley has also sent Ridwan Sahrom to learn from “The Pocket Rocketman”, and both cyclists will compete in the keirin and sprint events in Milton.
“No secret training camp, it was always planned to do a block of training with one of the most professional athletes in the world, to learn and see what it takes to be one of the best athletes in the world.
“Yes, it is a longer journey from Australia to Canada, but the training block has definitely been worth the extra time sitting on the plane because it has been very tough and at a high level, which will help them both take another step forward in terms of performance. I am excited to take both of them to Canada,” said Beasley.
At the same time, Beasley views Izzah’s disappointing performance in the previous UCI Track Nations Cup in Hong Kong as the best opportunity for exposure rather than a failure.
During that competition, Izzah was eliminated early from the keirin event and returned home with no medals.
“Izzah would have been the youngest female athlete participating in Hong Kong against some very experienced elite athletes all trying to qualify for a place on the start line in Paris.
“I think she is batting way above her average for a 52kg, 20-year-old female Malaysian athlete racing the best athletes in the world whose average weight would be around 70kg to 80kg.
“Couple that with also giving years of racing experience away, I believe Izzah is doing a fantastic job and is at a very similar place at the same age to where Azizul was at 20 years old.
“Izzah will take time to develop. You have to remember that Izzah has only been in the national elite track sprint programme for about two years. Prior to that, she was training on the roads around Kedah.
“There is no track or velodrome in Kedah to my knowledge, so prior to coming into the MSN elite track programme, Izzah had raced on the track around 6 times in her life, so please think about her progress over her short career,” he added. – April 11, 2024