PETALING JAYA: Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri earned big cheers for Malaysia when she won the women's elite keirin gold medal on the penultimate day of the Asian Track Cycling Championships in New Delhi, India today (on Sunday).
The 20-year-old from Kedah rode brilliantly to overtake Tong Mengqi of China, coming out of the bend to deliver the first gold for Malaysia in the Asian meet at Indira Gandhi Velodrome.
Anis Amira Rosidi also raced superbly in the final to bag the bronze medal ahead of Hong Kong's Ng Sze Wing.
It is the second time Nurul made the top of the podium in the Asian meet but her first in the exciting keirin event.
Nurul made her Asian championships debut in 2022 by winning gold in the women's 500m time trial, also at the same track in New Delhi.
Anis and Nurul rode in the same second-round heat, and both entered the top-six main final after coming in first and second, respectively.
Nurul is only the second Malaysian woman cyclist to win the keirin gold medal in Asian championships history.
Fatehah Mustapa was the first Malaysian woman cyclist to do so when the Asian meet was held at the Cheras Velodrome in Kuala Lumpur back in 2012.
