KUALA LUMPUR – National sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi has been making the country proud by breaking national records at a young age, with the national 60m indoor record and 100m outdoor record under the 18-year-old’s belt.
Former national athletics head coach Mohd Manshahar Abdul Jalil believes Azeem’s versatility serves as an advantage for the youngster to further excel on track.
Speaking to The Vibes, Manshahar said it was a wise decision for Azeem to be trained for the 60m indoors, as it will help boost his 100m race performance.
“It is good that Azeem is running both distances, usually running indoors serves as preparation for outdoor events.
“Because it is winter in the US and they can’t compete outside, racing 60m indoors before the 100m outdoor event is a good step,” he said.
As there are several phases in the 100m sprint, such as the block start, acceleration, maximum speed, and deceleration, Manshahar said the 60m distance will help improve Azeem’s overall acceleration.
“Even if an athlete only competes outdoors, their coaches will still train them for the 60m distance, because it really helps with the acceleration phase during the 100m sprint.”
Meanwhile, Manshahar said patience is needed for Azeem to inch closer to his 100m national record-breaking run of 10.09s.
“It is not easy to break another record. For now, he needs the cooperation of his coaches because they are training him for bigger prospects later.
“It is a progression from one point to another. You can’t be breaking records all the time,” he said.
Manshahar added that Azeem is set to compete in several other events for Auburn University within the next few weeks.
“It is good that he was able to achieve a win at his first outdoor debut for his university. 10.32s is a good start for him.
“Previously he was doing personal bests in indoor events, and now he has broken the national 60m indoor record.
“There is nothing to worry about Azeem and his progress,” Manshahar added.
Azeem recently won the 100m event at the Florida State University relays, setting a time of 10.32s and beating nine other runners on his first outdoor race for his university.
He made headlines when he broke the national 100m record during the U-20 World Athletics Championships in Cali, Colombia last year, setting a time of 10.09s.
Azeem also currently holds the 60m indoor sprint national record of 6.63s set at the Texas Tech Open meet in January, breaking Watson Nyambek’s 24-year-old record of 6.66s clocked in 1999. – The Vibes, March 29, 2023
