THOUGH he may be small in stature, there is no doubt that former world keirin champion Azizulhasni Awang (pic) is a mental giant when he races.
But it was not always that way.
Azizulhasni revealed that the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games was the major "turning point" in his career from a psychological standpoint.
"I still remember the 2010 Asian Games. I choked during the tournament because there were expectations," said Azizulhasni.
"There were my own self-expectations and also external expectations on me to win.
"That tournament was the turning point for me on how to prepare mentally for big competitions.
"I am grateful that since then, I have matured a lot in terms of mental preparation and how to manage targets.
"And you can see now that I am always motivated and raring to go, always on fire and mentally sharp."
On paper, Azizulhasni did not do that badly at the 2010 Asian Games. He won the keirin gold ahead of compatriot Josiah Ng but lost in the semi-finals of the individual sprint to Japan's Tsubasa Kitatsuru and then went down to Yudai Nitta (Japan) in the bronze-medal decider.
Azizulhasni, who is expected to challenge for gold at the Tokyo Olympics on Aug 4-8, admits there is pressure on him to deliver but is taking it all in his stride.
The 33-year-old will be making his fourth Olympic appearance in Tokyo alongside Shah Firdaus Sahrom.
They will be competing in both the keirin and individual sprint events at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka.