KUALA LUMPUR: Track cyclist Zuhairie Ahmad Tarmizi clinched Malaysia's first medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games after winning the men's C4-C5 1,000 metre time trial today.
Zuhairie clocked one minute and 5.361 seconds to secure a comfortable win in the final at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka.
Thailand's Jaturong Niwanti (1:07.206s) came in second while Indonesia's Sufyan Saori (1:08.166s) completed the podium.
Zuhairie had earlier today clocked a new Games record of 1:04.882s to top qualifying.
The former meet record of 1:07.311s had been set by China's Lai Shanzhang during the Hangzhou Games in 2023.
Youth and Sports Minister Dr Taufiq Johari congratulated Zuhairie for an outstanding performance.
"Our hero has brought home our first gold medal through the men's C4-5 1,000m time trial. His time was even faster than he clocked at the Asian Championships earlier this year," said Dr Taufiq on social media.
"Thank you for your incredible fighting spirit. The whole nation is proud of you."
The national contingent will have further opportunities to add to their medal tally at the games via a number of sports later today.
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