With seven days remaining of the XXXIII Olympic Games Paris 2024, seven Malaysian athletes remain in contention for a performance of a life-time in the city steeped in history, the city of love and the city of light. Let’s have a brief look at their profile and motivation ahead of their respective events!
AQUATICS – DIVING
BERTRAND RHODICT LISES
Date of Birth: 28 May, 2005
Age: 19 years old
Height: 168cm
Weight: 60kg
Trivia: He loves playing the video game called Valorant
Education: Mahsa University, Bukit Jalil Sports School, SMK Sungai Maong
Motivation: On top of being the fourth Sarawakian to be given the honour of carrying the flag in the Parade of Nations at the Olympics after Kuda Ditta (athletics) Rome 1960, Bryan Nickson Lomas (diving) Athens 2004 and Pandelela Rinong (diving) London 2012, Rhodict aims to adjust to a higher degree of difficulty in executing his dives in the Men’s 10m platform in the preliminary rounds on 9 August 2024. He has been keeping himself busy with his vlogs, including the latest on Instagram featuring fellow athlete Dato’ Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom entering the dining hall of the Games Village, which has come under intense criticism from athletes for the lack of food.
NUR DHABITAH SABRI
Date of Birth: 12 July, 1999
Age: 25 years old
Height: 153cm
Weight: 52kg
Trivia: A true Harry Potter fan
Education: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bukit Jalil Sports School
Motivation: Pursuing a course in mass communication UKM, Dhabitah has to prove her doubters wrong, especially after she failed to qualify for the Paris Games on merit. Having been dropped from the Road to Gold program, Dhabitah’s entry into France was based on the additional quota spot in the Women’s 3 metre Springboard event.
CYCLING – TRACK
NURUL IZZAH IZZATI MOHD ASRI
Date of Birth: 11 September, 2003
Age: 21 years old
Height: 152cm
Weight: 53kg
Education: Pursuing a degree in Sports Science at the University of Malaya
Motivation: Having earned a ticket at the Olympics four years ahead of schedule, Nurul Izzah shall not be under pressure to perform. This could work to her advantage.
MOHD AZIZULHASNI AWANG
Date of Birth: 5 January, 1988
Age: 36 years old
Height: 168cm
Weight: 70kg
Trivia: He underwent an open heart surgery for a rare heart condition called Anomalous Right Coronary Artery (ARCA) in April 2022. Also had a rare splinter injury during racing back in 2011 in Manchester where a huge piece of wood pierced through his leg leading to an operation. I have won silver medal in Tokyo 2020 and bronze in Rio 2016. Former Keirin World Champion 2017 in Hong Kong.
Education: Current (Deferred): Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia, pursuing a Bachelor of Exercise Science (Clinical Stream),
2009-2010: Deakin University, Melbourne
2004-2005: Bukit Jalil Sports School
2001-2003: SMK Sultan Omar, Dungun, Terengganu
1995-2000: SK Batu 48, Dungun
Motivation: A bronze in Rio 2016, a silver in Tokyo 2020, third time lucky for a gold, perhaps? After what he has gone through, Azizulhasni enjoys the full backing of the nation. Allez the Pocketrocketman.
MUHAMMAD SHAH FIRDAUS SAHROM
Date of Birth: 26 November 1995
Age: 29 years old
Height: 180cm
Weight: 88kg
Trivia: He can sing, and loves to drive fast cars
Motivation: Always in the shadows of Azizulhasni Awang, Shah Firdaus may continue to play second fiddle in order to put his senior colleague on the pedestal. That is the biggest sacrifice an athlete can perform for a legend.
WEIGHTLIFTING
MOHAMAD ANIQ KASDAN
Date of Birth: 16 June, 2002
Age: 22 years old
Height: 153cm
Weight: 62kg
Education: Student at the Sports Science and Recreation Faculty of UiTM, SMK Gelang Patah, Johor.
Motivation: In the lead up for the Men’s Under-61kg class, Aniq is working on his snatch technique to lift his chances of a credible outing at the South Paris Arena at the Expo Centre. With the presence of former Olympian Amirul Hamizan Ibrahim as team manager and Edmund Yeo as the coach, Aniq is looking at the combined lift of 305kg for a chance to finish on the podium. His personal best is 296kg, 126kg in snatch and 170kg in clean and jerk.
GOLF
ASHLEY LAU JEN WEN
Date of Birth: 18 March 2000
Age: 24 years old
Height: 164cm
Weight: 62kg
Trivia: She loves to dance, Ashley is a dog lover, with 6 dogs at home
Education: University of Michigan, USA
Motivation: The first Sarawakian golfer to play in the Olympics, the 24-year-old professional from Bintulu is in Paris by virtue of being ranked 50th in the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) for the Women’s category. Ashley is among the 60 women golfers teeing off at the Le Golf National in August.
