From Ahmad Nazrin Syahmi Mohamad Arif
GLASGOW, July 31 (Bernama) -- National women's track cycling ace Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri described her fourth-place finish in the women's sprint event at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games as a bittersweet moment after being just a step away from stepping onto the podium today.
Nurul Izzah lost 0-2 to Welsh rider Rhian Edmunds in the bronze medal playoff after putting up a spirited fight throughout the competition at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome here.
"First of all, I am definitely disappointed because I was already halfway there and just a step away from winning a medal. This result definitely has a big impact on me.
"But I take it as a lesson and will move on to the next event. I have also proven that a slow timing does not necessarily prevent us from advancing far," the 22-year-old rider told Bernama.
In the qualifying round, Nurul Izzah - making her second Commonwealth Games appearance after Birmingham 2022 - clocked 10.706 seconds (s) to finish as the 11th fastest rider.
Welsh rider Emma Finucane broke the games record with a time of 10.322s, while another national representative, Nur Alyssa Mohd Farid, finished in 15th spot with a time of 10.882s.
Nurul Izzah then advanced to the semifinals to meet English rider Sophie Capewell and won the first race.
However, the second race had to be rerun before victory was awarded to Capewell following Nurul Izzah's mistake of performing a 'track stand' exceeding the allowed limit, before her challenger subsequently won the deciding race to advance to the final.
"I was able to prove that I can compete with Olympic medalists, and the victory over Sophie in the first race became one of the biggest moments for me.
"In the second race, there was a slight mistake on my part because we cannot do a 'track stand' more than twice. That is a lesson and I don't want to repeat it again," she said.
Nurul Izzah said her achievement also provides a clear picture of the aspects that need improvement, especially timing, speed, and acceleration.
"This is a bittersweet moment because everyone who comes to the Commonwealth Games wants to win a medal. I will continue to improve myself and now focus on the next event," she said.
Nurul Izzah is scheduled to compete in the final of the women's 1,000-meter Time Trial event tomorrow before continuing her challenge in the keirin on Sunday.
For the record, at the Birmingham 2022 edition, Nurul Izzah finished the women's sprint competition in 22nd place overall and concluded the keirin event in the first round.
-- BERNAMA