KUALA LUMPUR: Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri is fast proving to be the next big thing for Malaysia after winning the bronze medal in the women's sprint in the Asian Track Cycling Championships (ACC) at New Delhi, India, today.
The petite lass put up a plucky performance to beat Japan's Aki Sakai in two heats at the Indira Gandhi Velodrome to become only the second Malaysian woman to make the sprint podium in Asian championships history.
Fatehah Mustapa was the last Malaysian woman to make the sprint podium when she took bronze in the 2015 edition in Korat, Thailand.
It was the first time Nurul Izzah made the podium in the blue riband sprint event in what was only her third Asian championships.
The 20-year-old stepped up to the plate in the bronze medal race after she lost both semi-final heats to China's Tong Mengqi.
Meanwhile Shah Firdaus Sahrom clinched the bronze medal in the men's sprint.
Shah Firdaus overcame Taiwan's Kang Shih Feng in two heats to make the sprint podium for the first time since the 2019 edition in Indonesia where he also finished with a bronze.
The Muar rider's gold medal hopes were dashed after going down to China's Li Shiwei in the two heats in the semis but bounced back strongly to claim the bronze.
Japanese heavyweight Yuta Obara won the sprint gold medal after beating Shiwei in two heats in the final.
Azizulhasni Awang won the men's sprint title in Nilai last year but has opted to skip the New Delhi edition in order to focus on his preparations for the Paris Olympics.
Selangor cyclist Intan Nur Idrisah delivered the first medal for Malaysia in the junior ranks after coming in third in the girls' 7.5km scratch race. Taiwan's Huang Wen Xin won the gold ahead of South Korea's Hong Harang.
Para cyclist Mohd Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin won his second gold in New Delhi after winning the men's C1 1km time trial event in 1:17.518s. Mohd Almarri of Saudi Arabia took silver in 1:36.020s.
Yusof had won the mixed team sprint event with Zuhairi Ahmad Tarmizi and Mohd Hafiz Jamali on Wednesday.
Adi Raimie Amizazahan delivered the second gold for Malaysia on the third day of the para cycling competition after finishing the men's C3 1km time trial event in 1:13.178s ahead of host nation's Alana Tifan Abid (1:16.420s).