ZULHELMI Pisol knows he will not be able to repeat his Commonwealth Games exploits when the weightlifter makes his Asian Games debut on Saturday.
A silver medalist in Glasgow, Zulhelmi will be up against athletes from countries which have produced world and Olympic champions in the under-56kg category.
“I have to be realistic with my expectations and if I can improve on my total personal best of 245kg, I will be happy,” said Zulhelmi, 21, after arriving in Incheon yesterday.
“Asian countries have produced world and Olympic champions in this category so I am just aiming to finish in the top-eight and help to score Olympic qualifying points for the country.”
Zulhelmi added that the proximity in dates of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games also did not help him.
“Usually you need about three months between competitions,” he said. “Seven or eight weeks is barely enough for the recovery phase and to get into competition mode again.”
Zulhelmi is Malaysia’s sole weightlifter in the competition after Glasgow gold medalist Hafifi Mansor withdrew.
Malaysia’s sole Asian Games medal in the sport — a bronze — was won by middleheavyweight lifter Tan Kim Bee in 1958.