Muhammad Syawal Heads To Tanjung Malim To Continue Quest For LA28 Qualification

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- National mountain bike rider Muhammad Syawal Mazlin is set to continue his quest to collect qualifying points for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics (LA28) at the Tanjong Malim YDP Cup Mountain Bike International Challenge 2026 (TM YDP Cup MTB) in Perak from Dec 10-13.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Class 2 event will be the 22-year-old’s second outing in his Olympic qualification campaign, following an encouraging third-placed finish in the Cross-Country Olympic (XCO) event at the season-opening race in Kelantan last week.

However, the world No. 326-ranked Muhammad Syawal admitted that the path to earning a ticket to LA28 in the XCO event won’t be an easy task as he would need to be among the world’s top 90.

He added that the qualifying campaign, which began last month, required a high level of commitment and exposure through more international races due to the stiff competition among Asian riders.

“Qualifying for the Olympics is extremely difficult for the men, as it requires a great number of races. In Asia alone, the level of competition among male riders is intense.

“So, we need to take part in more races and gain more exposure to ensure we do not fall too far behind in the UCI rankings,” he told reporters after the launch of the championship here today.

The four-day championship in Tanjung Malim will also feature the UCI Class 3 Cross-Country Eliminator (XCE) discipline.

Commenting on his preferred discipline, Muhammad Syawal openly admitted his inclination to focus on XCO, given his strengths as an endurance rider.

“Actually, I will be going to the Philippines next week for an XCO competition. So, I’m in the midst of preparing for it. Let’s see how I perform there, and which discipline suits me better.

“But if you ask me, I’m better suited to XCO because I’m an endurance-type rider. The XCE is more for the sprint riders. For me, personally, it’s probably the XCO,” he added.

Competing in front of his own supporters in his home state is also set to fuel the Perak-born rider’s determination to spring a surprise, while setting himself a target of finishing among the top five.

The 2026 TM YDP Cup MTB, which brings together local and international riders, will not only serve as a platform to collect LA28 qualifying points but also play an important role in the selection of national athletes for next year’s SEA Games.

-- BERNAMA