Azeem wins his heat in 10.17s, stays calm despite Thai rival's sub-10 run

Malaysia's top sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi is through to the men's 100m semi-finals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after winning his heat on Thursday, 24 September.

The 22-year-old won heat five in 10.17 seconds at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium. The semi-finals are scheduled for today, 25 September.

Focus on his own lane

The fastest time in the heats came from Thailand's Puripol Boonson, who clocked 9.95 seconds in heat one. That was well ahead of the rest of the field, but Azeem told Bernama he was not letting it distract him.

"I just want to run my own race and not think about what the other runners are doing," he said.

Azeem described his heat as a positive run but said there was still room to improve in the next round.

Two Malaysians in the semis

Azeem will not be the only Malaysian in the semi-finals. Muhammad Umaira Subri finished fourth in heat one, the race won by Puripol, in 10.43 seconds. That time was good enough to secure one of the fastest-loser places and a spot in the next round.

Having two Malaysians in the men's 100m semi-finals is a good sign for the national sprint programme.

Form going into Nagoya

Azeem arrived in Japan in solid form. In July, he won his first Asian Under-23 Championships title in Ordos, China, clocking 10.17 seconds in the final after running 10.15 in the semi-final, according to The Star. Iraq's Falah Hassan Al-Khazaali (10.21) and Qatar's Salah Al-Yunis (10.23) finished behind him.

His personal best is 10.09 seconds, which he set at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia.

What he needs today

Azeem's heat time matched his Asian U-23 winning time. To reach the final, he will likely need to go faster in the semi-finals, where the competition will be much tougher. Getting close to his personal best could be crucial.

A place in the final would already be a big result. Malay Mail noted that the athletics squad was still waiting for its first medal of the Games.

Mixed day for athletics

Elsewhere on the track and field programme on Thursday, discus thrower Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin missed out on the final eight with a best throw of 56.37 metres.

The focus now turns firmly to the sprints, with Azeem carrying Malaysian hopes in one of the Games' most-watched events.

Key takeaways

• Azeem Fahmi won heat five of the men's 100m in 10.17 seconds on 24 September.
• Muhammad Umaira Subri also reached the semi-finals, finishing fourth in heat one in 10.43.
• Thailand's Puripol Boonson set the fastest heat time of 9.95 seconds.
• The semi-finals are scheduled for today, 25 September; Azeem's personal best is 10.09.

FAQ

What time did Azeem run in the 100m heats? He won heat five in 10.17 seconds.

Who was the fastest in the heats? Thailand's Puripol Boonson, who ran 9.95 seconds in heat one.

What is Azeem's personal best? 10.09 seconds, set at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Sources: Bernama, Malay Mail, The Star