SURABAYA, July 3 — National sprint sensation Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi has described himself as being "speechless” after being picked to fill the wild card slot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 20-year-old said he still could not believe that the Malaysian Athletics Federation (MAF) had picked him over women's 400m runner Shereen Samson Vallabouy to compete in the July 26 to August 11 Paris Games.
He said he would seize the opportunity to give it his best and use it as a platform to improve his performance.
"With this positive news… it is an opportunity for me to grow and improve on my performance. The Olympics is the biggest stage, I will try my best to, at least, set my season's best or a new national record.
"I believe in myself and this news is the highest form of motivation for me to do the best,” Azeem told the press after the men's 4x100-m final at the Asean University Games 2024, held at the Surabaya State University Athletics Field today.
Earlier today, MAF president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim announced that the wild card slot to the Paris Olympics had been given to the sprint ace.
Shereen, meanwhile, took the decision magnanimously, saying she accepted the MAF's decision to give the wild card spot to Azeem.
"I will continue working hard. I will come back stronger next year, and whoever gets it deserves it. So I am not upset about it.
"I plan to run in a few more competitions before I end the season," she said.
In the women's 400m event at the Asean University Games 2024 today, Shereen clinched gold in 53.71s, leaving Thailand's Benny Nontanam (55.09s) and home runner Maulidah (56.51s) to settle for silver and bronze.
Azeem also bagged gold in the men's 4x100m relay as he and Alif Iman Mohd Fahimi, Mohd Raimi Mustafa Kamal, and Mohammad Thaqif Mohammad Hisham clocked 40.10s.
— Bernama
