National track cyclists Azizulhasni Awang and Shah Firdaus Sahrom's preparations for the Tokyo Olympics this year continued on a positive note after the duo notched a 1-2 finish at the Victoria Elite Track Championships yesterday.
Azizulhasni clocked 10.126 seconds in the individual sprint qualifiers — which was way off his personal best of 9.548s — but it was still enough to see him top the preliminary standings at the Darebin International Sports Centre Velodrome in Melbourne.
Shah was third fastest in the qualifiers on 10.186s, while Blackburn Cycling Club's Sam Gallagher (10.171s) was sandwiched between the duo.
Azizul dispatched Brunswick Cycling Club's Mace Colson in the quarterfinals and then downed former world junior keirin champion Conor Rowley (Blackburn) in the semi-finals to set up an all-Malaysian final against Shah.
Shah defeated Blackburn duo Sean Cleary and Gallagher in the quarterfinals and semi-finals.
Azizul got the better of Shah in the final. Rowley clinched bronze after downing Gallagher in the playoff.
Azizulhasni and Shah are no strangers to competing and winning in domestic competitions in Australia. They had won gold and bronze in the keirin at the Australian National Championships in Brisbane in December.
The duo is training under national track head coach John Beasley in Melbourne.
Azizulhasni, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Games, hopes to become the first Malaysian to win a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in July.