Azizulhasni, nicknamed the “Pocket Rocketman”, admitted facing challenges after being unable to sleep ahead of the keirin race yesterday, which affected his recovery for today’s sprint event.

The 38-year-old had to battle fatigue throughout the day, but he remained determined to stay focussed through each round and eventually secured a podium finish.

“After finishing here late last night, I went back and tried to sleep, but couldn’t. I think it was due to the adrenaline and coffee intake before the race, so it was quite difficult to fall asleep.

“I could only lie down, turning left and right until around 6.30am before having to get ready for the warm-up session as the (sprint) qualification started early in the morning,” he said after the race here.

Azizulhasni, a silver medallist at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, said the challenge intensified after the quarter-final stage; the short recovery period of about an hour affected his performance.

On the semi-final, Azizulhasni said he started well by winning the first race against Trinidad and Tobago rider Nicholas Paul, but a lack of energy took its toll in the subsequent races.

“In the second race, he used a long sprint strategy, and I couldn’t match it due to a lack of energy and using a smaller gear. In the deciding race, he started the sprint earlier, and my physical condition did not allow me to respond,” he said.

Despite the extreme fatigue after the semi-final, he managed to bounce back in the bronze medal decider thanks to strong support from fans.

“I tried to recover by focussing on my breathing before the bronze medal race. Although I was still tired and sleepy, I wanted to give my best for the supporters who came. I did not want to disappoint them, especially those who travelled from afar,” said Azizulhasni, who also won the gold in the keirin event yesterday.

In today’s sprint event, world champion Harrie Lavreysen of the Netherlands won the gold, redeeming his second-placed finish in the keirin, while Paul settled for silver.