NILAI: Promising rider Khairunnisa Aleeya Saifulnizam showed her potential as she upstaged more experienced riders, including teammate Nur Aisyah Zubir, to win gold in the President's Cup Series today (Jan 15).
Khairunnisa timed her move well and hit the line first in the women's scratch race at the National Velodrome here.
Singapore's Valencia Tan, who won the omnium gold yesterday, came in second while South Korean Kim Min-jeong completed the podium.
Aisyah, who represented Malaysia in the road discipline at the Paris Olympics, settled for fourth.
Khairunnisa, 20, wept tears of joy after the race. It was the Johor-born rider's biggest win to date.
"I saw a small opportunity to go for it and I just gave it my all," said Khairunnisa.
"But I never expected to go on and win it. I never imagined I would be the winner today in an international event.
"I always train together with Aisyah and I really look up to her. To be able to beat her is a big achievement for me."
Khairunnisa is hoping her performance could brighten her chances of making the squad for the Asian Championships, which will also be held in Nilai next month.
Meanwhile, Izzah Izzati Asri claimed her second gold of the meet after winning the women's keirin today ahead of South Korea's Kim Hae-eun and Cho Sun-young.
Izzah won the women's individual sprint gold yesterday.
The men's keirin was won by South Korea's Kim Seo-jun with Fadhil Zonis and Akmal Jusena settling for silver and bronze.
Today's races concluded series one of the President's Cup. Series two will begin on Saturday.