KUALA LUMPUR – Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri’s stunning performance at the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) in New Delhi, India, was the backbone of her qualification for the Paris Olympics in July, according to technical director John Beasley.
At the Indira Gandhi Velodrome in February, the national track cyclist won gold in the keirin and 500m time trial.
She also won silver in the team sprint and bronze in the individual sprint.
Over the weekend, Nurul Izzah competed at the Nations Cup in Milton, Canada, where she exited the sprint in the last 16 but showed an improved performance in the keirin, clinching eighth position to seal her provisional spot for the Paris Games.
Australian Beasley also mentioned that he deliberately kept Nurul Izzah’s chances under wraps to take the pressure off the 20-year-old.
“Nurul Izzah didn’t train for the sprint at all, we just wanted to qualify through the keirin, so all the training was geared around that event.
“We knew that we had a chance after winning (keirin gold) at the Asian Championships, but we kept a low profile because I didn’t want to put any pressure on her.
“We did all the calculations and if we made the second round (in the keirin at the Nations Cup in Milton) we would qualify for Paris.
“She ended up finishing eighth, which is great,” Beasley told reporters after arriving at Kuala Lumpur International Airport from Milton today.
In the previous legs of the Nations Cup in Adelaide and Hong Kong, Izzah exited the keirin in the first-round repêchage.
Beasley attributed the Kedahan’s success in Milton to a lengthy training stint, during which he could utilise video analysis to enhance her performance.
He added that during a training camp in Melbourne before Milton, Nurul Izzah was keeping pace with male cyclists Datuk Azizulhasni Awang, Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Muhammad Ridwan Sahrom.
“Nurul Izzah is 20-years-old and a work in progress, we’ve been working a lot with her technically and physically. We knew her performance would come at the ACC, which it did.
“After the ACC, there was a big training block and we had a lot of time to do video analysis. She was keeping up with the boys in the training camp in Melbourne so I knew she was in great shape.
“When we went to Canada, it was just Ridwan and Nurul Izzah, so I could spend a lot more time with them and that paid off.
“So she raced incredibly well, really smart. We went through the scenarios, and she executed them wonderfully well,” added Beasley.
Beasley harbours no expectations for the Jitra-born sprinter for the Paris Olympics, stating that it would be all about gaining experience at the world’s biggest multi-sport event.
“If we come away with a medal (for Nurul Izzah), that’s great for Malaysia, but for me, it’s about experience. And then in 2028 (Los Angeles Olympics), we expect to be fighting for a spot on the podium,” he said.
Beasley, however, is confident that Nurul Izzah will not be in Paris merely to make up the numbers – citing her recent massive strides forward and the potential of further improvement to come.
“She still has a young woman’s body, she still has a lot of growing to do over the next four years.
“Nurul Izzah is a 50-kg girl, it will take until her mid-20s for her body to mature and develop the muscles so she can compete with the average 6-ft-tall, 85-kg Western track cyclists,” added Beasley.
He also said that when Nurul Izzah packs on the pounds, she would have the strength and tools required to challenge for a medal in the next two Olympics after Paris, in Los Angeles and Brisbane, where she will be in her prime. – April 16, 2024