KUALA LUMPUR: The national track cycling squad is set to face its toughest assignment this year at the World Championships which begins at the Shanghai Velodrome on Chongming Island tomorrow.
The squad has had a busy year competing across the UCI World Cup Series, Tagaytay Asian Championships, Glasgow Commonwealth Games as well as the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The world meet, however, is just as important as it also marks the start of the qualifying window for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Former world keirin champion Azizulhasni Awang will again be Malaysia's best bet for a medal.
Despite his advancing years, the 38-year-old has been in the form of his life this season. He emerged as the overall keirin champion in the World Cup series after winning two keirin golds - he also won two individual sprint bronzes - and also won the keirin gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games.
The Netherlands' Harrie Lavreysen, who won four golds at last year's Santiago World Championships, and Australia's Matthew Richardson, who has made a comeback since suffering injuries during a crash in Japan just before the Commonwealth Games, will again be Azizulhasni's main rivals in the keirin.
Azizulhasni had beaten the duo in the World Cup series earlier this year but they will be at a different level of form when they compete at the worlds, especially with Olympic qualification points on the line.
Shah Firdaus Sahrom, who had yet to hit top form since undergoing knee surgery late last year, has not qualified to compete in any individual events in Shanghai but could play a role in the men's team sprint squad alongside his younger brother Ridwan, Fadhil Zonis and Akmal Jusena.
In the women's events, Izzah Izzati Asri and Nur Alyssa Farid will be looking to create an upset in the women's keirin though they will be facing European riders much faster than them.
The duo are, however, in good form having set a new national record en route to clinching the team sprint silver for Malaysia at the Asian Games alongside Aliana Azizan and Anis Amira Rosidi. Izzah also won keirin bronze at the Asiad.
National team head coach Harnizam Basri admitted that the squad is at a disadvantage when compared to their European rivals having had to compete at the Asian Games just a fortnight ago.
"The challenge for the squad is to try and maintain their performances as we have had to taper twice for the Commonwealth Games as well as the Asian Games in the lead-up to the world championships," he said recently.
"It is inevitable that they will lose some muscle mass due to the tapering though we will try our best to maintain our speed.
"For Azizulhasni, the big rivals for him will still be Harrie and Matthew.
"For the girls I would be happy to see them make it to the keirin semi-finals."
Azizulhasni, who took time away from the sport after Paris 2024, did not compete in the past two editions of the world championships.
The last time Malaysia won a medal at the world meet was during the 2020 Berlin edition when Azizulhasni won two bronzes via the keirin and men's individual sprint.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd