ATC 2025: Sawda Breaks Asian Junior Record To Claim Gold In 1-km Time Trial

NILAI, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- National women’s junior cyclist Sawda Hasbullah smashed the Asian junior record for the one-kilometre (km) time trial to win the first gold for the national track cycling team at the Asian Track Cycling (ACT) Championship at the National Velodrome here today.

The 17-year-old recorded a time of one minute 10.818 seconds (s) beating Taiwan’s Liu Shang Ying 1:12.722s set in the qualifying round this morning to finish first, while Shang Yin took the silver with a time of 1:11.936s and India’s Harshita Jakhar took the bronze with 1:12.848s.

“I’m very glad, Alhamdulillah. I know it wasn’t an easy race, especially with the additional longer distance but I was prepared and focused only on the planned strategy,” she told reporters after the race today.

She admitted that her win today more or less made up for the disappointment in not having a podium finish in yesterday’s women’s keirin event, in which she placed fourth.

Sawda’s gold brings the national junior squad’s medal tally at the three-day 2025 ATC to one gold and two silvers, won by the women’s sprint team on Friday and Nur Umairah Qhaisara Zulfikha Razak in the women’s keirin yesterday. 

Meanwhile, the national para track cycling team continued its excellent run at the 2025 ATC, winning two gold medals in the individual pursuit, with Mohamad Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin in the men’s cycle 1 (C1) event and Muhammad Adi Raimie Amizazahan in the men’s cycle 3 (C3).

-- BERNAMA