PARIS, Malaysian track cyclists Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom made a strong start to their campaign at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by advancing to the first round (1/32) of the men's sprint event today. In the action at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines National Velodrome, Mohd Azizulhasni, nicknamed The Pocket Rocketman, delivered a powerful ride to finish 10th with a time of 9.402 seconds (s) in the qualifying round earlier. The Terengganu-born rider set a new national record in the event, surpassing his previous record of 9.523s set at the Asian Cycling Championships (ACC) in Nilai last year. Muhammad Shah finished 22nd with a time of 9.635s. Only the top 24 riders qualify for the 1/32 round. Dutch rider Harrie Lavreysen topped the standings with a time of 9.088s, also setting a new world record, while Australia's Matthew Richardson (9.091s) and Israeli Mikhail Yakolev (9.152s) finished second and third respectively in the round. Awaiting Mohd Azizulhasni in the first ro und of 1/32 is German rider Luca Spiegel, while Muhammad Shah will face a tough challenge from Mikhail later. Meanwhile, national female cyclist Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri will continue her challenge in the women's keirin in the repechage round after failing to qualify in the first round by finishing fourth in Heat 5 of the event. Only the top two riders in each heat qualify for the quarterfinals, while the other riders advance to the repechage. Source: BERNAMA News Agency