KUALA LUMPUR: With the Paris Olympics on his mind, track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang revealed that he was determined to compete in the Adelaide leg of the UCI Nations Cup despite suffering from pericarditis over the last few weeks.
Azizulhasni, against medical orders, went on to win the men's keirin event on Saturday and finished fourth in the individual sprint yesterday. He was forced to withdraw from the bronze medal race in the latter event due to pericarditis symptoms.
"(Prior to the event) the hospital advised me to rest for four to six weeks. I was also advised by numerous parties not to continue training, not to mention compete in a big tournament such as the Nations Cup," said Azizulhasni on social media today.
"I was in a bind. I have a huge responsibility to the nation and if I didn't train my performance would drop. It would not be easy to regain that performance.
"I was also afraid that my Olympic qualifying points would be affected if I did not compete. It was a tough situation, I couldn't sleep well for days.
"Luckily I had my wife and children who helped calm me when I was distressed."
Azizulhasni added that he experienced chest tightness, difficulty breathing and discomfort in his sternum, where he was operated on in 2022, when he raced in Adelaide but was nevertheless determined to do well in his events.
"I still chose to face it (pain), this is the result of being stubborn," he said.
"When you don't give yourself the option to lose, the only choice you have is to keep fighting.
"But to be honest, I was out of my comfort zone during the race."
The 36-year-old had undergone open heart surgery in 2022 to correct a coronary artery anomaly which he had suffered from since birth.
It is possible that pericarditis is an after effect of the surgery though can also be caused by other factors.
Pericarditis refers to swelling and inflammation of the lining surrounding the heart. It can cause sharp pain or put pressure on the chest, among other symptoms.
It is not usually a serious condition though can sometimes lead to more serious issues.
National head coach John Beasley said they decided not to risk Azizulhasni in the bronze medal race in Adelaide.
"We decided he had done enough and it was time to look after him. It is well known that he is not 100 per cent health wise and there was no point pushing him any further and risking potential harm.
"He delivered Malaysia a gold (keirin) and performed exceptionally well in the sprint to finish up fourth.
"It is our job to place his health first and foremost and get him ready for Paris."
Beasley added that the National Heart Institute has lined up a number of tests which Azizulhasni will undergo over the next few weeks.
