KUANTAN – Malaysia’s sensational sprinter, Muhammad Azeem Fahmi, fell short of his target to clock 10.25 seconds in the 100m event at the Malaysian Open Athletics Championship today.
In the race held at Darul Makmur Stadium, Kuantan, Azeem outpaced all seven other runners in the final of the 100m but settled for a time of 10.43s.
This timing was less satisfying compared to his performance in the semi-finals earlier in the afternoon, where he recorded 10.39s.
Despite clinching the gold medal and earning the title of Malaysia Open sprint king, Azeem expressed disappointment for not achieving his desired time of 10.25s.
Jonathan Nyepa secured the silver medal, while local sprinter Efrain Feerzan Khan took home the bronze.
Based on assessments from his coach and experts from the National Sports Council, Azeem not only needed to win the race but also to achieve a time of at least 10.25s to bolster his chances for the Paris Olympic Games.
“I believe that Allah has the best plan for me. I am grateful to have competed tonight and secured the top spot,” Azeem said.
“I am certainly disappointed with my time tonight, but thank you for your prayers. I apologise for not delivering a remarkable time since winning the bronze medal at the Asian Games last year.
“But being here tonight, competing against Malaysia’s best runners, helps me to stay relevant as the fastest man in Malaysia.”
One of the contributing factors to his shortfall was his physical condition, not fully recovered from the long journey from the United States to Kuala Lumpur on Monday before heading to Kuantan on Thursday for this championship.
“To be honest, my body has not fully recovered from the extensive travel schedule. I have been traveling since last Sunday until today, and I haven’t had enough rest.
“Imagine flying from the United States to Malaysia and then here to compete and secure the title of Malaysia’s fastest man. It’s exhausting, but this is the path I’ve chosen,” he added.
Therefore, Azeem’s last opportunity to enhance his chances for the Paris Olympics is at the Kazakhstan Open Championships next week.
Azeem, currently ranked 64th in the world, needs to ensure that his world ranking climbs into the top 56 by the qualification deadline on June 30. – June 15, 2024