KUALA LUMPUR: Track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang will now shift his focus to the UCI Nations Cup series early next year, which will play a crucial role in qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
National coach John Beasley said his charge could not afford to skip the competition as it could jeopardise his chances of qualifying for the world championships in Glasgow in August and subsequently Paris 2024.
Jakarta will host the first round of the Nations Cup on Feb 23 to 26, followed by Cairo (March 14 to17) and Milton (March 20 to 23).
The Nations Cup — formerly known as the UCI World Cup series — was not usually a focus for Azizulhasni in the past.
However, the situation is different now as the former World No. 1 keirin rider has to work his way back up the rankings after a long layoff.
Azizulhasni spent most of this year on the sidelines after undergoing open heart surgery to correct a coronary artery anomaly in April.
He is currently No. 49 in the UCI keirin rankings (as of Dec 19). A top-24 ranking will likely see him qualifying for the world meet.
Beasley said taking time off from racing to focus on training blocks was not an option now.
The world championships offer the most qualifying points for the Olympics.
"I would love to (just focus on building strength), but we can't, unfortunately," said Beasley.
"For this (shortened) Olympic cycle, there is only one world meet, so we must get him enough UCI points to get a start in Scotland.
"We have to push things a little bit. Of course, I am managing the situation as best as possible.
"It is a matter of giving him enough overload to keep him progressing (in performance). However, we must be careful not to tip him over the edge."
Azizul showed positive improvements since returning to racing. The 34-year-old won the individual sprint and finished second at the Austral Wheelrace last week.
He also made one keirin final and one individual sprint semi-final during the UCI Track Champions League (TCL) — his first competition since coming back last month.
But he is still on the light side after losing a substantial amount of muscle mass post-operation.
"During the Tokyo Olympics last year, he weighed about 75kg, but he is about 70kg now, so there is quite a bit of muscle he needs to bulk up," added Beasley. "We have time, and we have a plan.
"I believe we will qualify (for Paris 2024). It is just a matter of getting the mass back on, and then we will be ready to take on the world again."
The former keirin world champion won bronze and silver in the discipline at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games. An Olympic gold is all he needs to cap a glittering career.