MALAYSIAN sprint sensation Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi displayed an astounding run to bag the bronze medal in the Asian Games men’s 100m event at the Hangzhou Olympic Stadium tonight.

Azeem’s achievement of winning his first medal at any international level also ended the country’s 41-year wait for a podium finish in the blue ribbon event since Rabuan Pit claimed gold in the 1982 edition in New Delhi, India.

The 19-year-old ensured his place on the podium after clocking 10.11 seconds, just 0.02s slower than his national record of 10.09s set at the Under-20 World Athletics Championships 2022  in Cali, Colombia.

China’s Xie Zhenye equalled his personal best of 9.97s to claim the gold, while Thailand’s Puripol Boonson also did well to take home silver with a time of 10.02s after his compatriot Soraoat Dapbang was earlier disqualified for a false start.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect myself to be on the podium tonight because I knew it was going to be a very tough race,” said Azeem after the race.

“All the finalists ran below 10.20s. This is one of the fastest races in the Asian Games because everyone qualified for the finals with their personal and season bests.

“The medal tonight means a lot to me, even though it’s a bronze. I dedicate it to my parents (Mohd Fahmi Tajuid and Norazah Ibrahim), to whom I promised I’d try my best to deliver a medal, because this is my last competition for this year.”

After tonight’s feat, the Asian Games debutant will compete in the men’s 4x100m relay on Tuesday. – Bernama, September 30, 2023.