KUALA LUMPUR – A lack of pressure has aided national women’s track cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Asri in securing her provisional qualification for the Paris Olympic Games in July.
At the Nations Cup in Milton, Canada yesterday, the pint-sized sprinter provisionally booked a spot at the Paris Games after finishing eighth in the keirin category.
“No one expected me to qualify for Paris but I kept working hard.
“People didn’t see the effort that I put in, but I kept at it. And the result has arrived even though it took some time.
“I didn’t expect at Milton that I could get to the next round (in the keirin) because during the sprint qualifying, I was disappointed that I could not improve my time.
“So I said to myself that I want to do well in the keirin and gave it my all,” the 152cm-tall Nurul Izzah told reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport after arriving from Milton.
The Jitra-born sprinter will be the first woman to represent Malaysia in track cycling since Fatehah Mustapa.
The 20-year-old is also the first woman to qualify for the sprint and keirin in the same Olympics.
Fatehah debuted in London 2012 in the keirin and competed in the sprint at Rio 2016.
“I’m really happy with my achievement. I didn’t expect I could do it, but when I made it to the second round, other teams started to congratulate me.
“I thought to myself: So this is how it feels like to qualify for an Olympics. I feel proud and elated.
“Even though I only finished eighth, I didn’t come home empty-handed, so it means a lot.
“This is a huge achievement for me,” said Nurul Izzah who is craving a hot bowl of tom yum after arriving home.
The Kedahan revealed that Datuk Azizulhasni Awang texted her congratulations after clinching her provisional Olympic spot.
“He told me not to get too comfortable as this is only the first step towards more success in the future.
“In Paris, I will try to improve my achievement in Milton for the keirin and I want to improve my time in the 200m time trial for the sprint.
“Paris will be a huge step for me, and there are pressure and expectations, but at the same time, I can use that to motivate myself,” said Nurul Izzah. – April 16, 2024