Paris Olympics 2024: Top five medal hopefuls from Malaysia

Badminton and cycling have been the go-to sports for Malaysia at the summer games.

Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia renowned for producing badminton and swimming greats, is sending some of its best athletes to the Paris Olympics 2024. These athletes have been training extremely hard for years, hoping to win medals and make their country proud.

Malaysia will be competing at the Olympic Games for the 17th time. They have won 13 medals at the Olympics so far. The Paris Olympics 2024 will see 26 athletes from the Malaysian contingent with equal representation of men and women.

Even with multiple podium finishes, Malaysia has never won a gold medal at the Olympics. They’ve won silver and bronze but the top spot remains elusive. Their athletes have been world champions but are yet to conquer the Olympic games.

The Olympics has seen Malaysian athletes dominating certain sporting events. Especially at badminton where Lee Chong Wei remains the only Malaysian athlete to win three medals at the Olympics.

Also Read: Paris Olympics 2024: Malaysia schedule, results, live streaming and telecast details

Malaysian has been winning at least a single medal in badminton at every edition of the games since Beijing 2008. In the past few editions, they have found success in cycling and diving.

There are hopes from Malaysia to win the gold medal in selected events at Paris Olympics 2024. So, let’s take a look at five Malaysian athletes who might bring home medals from the Paris Olympics 2024.

Let’s take a look at the top five medal hopefuls for Malaysia at Paris Olympics 2024

Lee Zii Jia (Badminton)

Lee Zii Jia will be the only Malaysian athlete in badminton men’s singles at Paris Olympics 2024. He is currently ranked seventh in the world. Lee has had some big wins recently, including the Thailand and Australian Open. He also was the runner up in the Malaysia Masters, losing only to the Tokyo Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.

Lee made his Olympic debut in Tokyo and reached the round of 16 while losing to eventual silver medallist Chen Long. This time, he has gained experience and will be aiming for gold. Lee is in group G and will play his opening match against Sri Lankan, Viren Nettasinghe on July 28.

Also Read: Lee Zii Jia’s Projected Path for Gold Medal at the Paris Olympics 2024

The 26-year-old will play his second match against Spaniard, Pablo Abian. Lee could become the third Malaysian badminton singles player to reach the podium at the Olympics.

Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik (Badminton)

Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik will play in the men’s doubles in badminton. The pair surprised everyone by winning a bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics. Now, they want to aim higher at Paris. However, they haven’t been playing their best this year.

They started this season with two consecutive semifinal losses and reached the final in All England championships. Chia and Yik have started their Paris Olympics 2024 campign with a win and have two more group matches remaining.

The Malaysian pair are former world champions, so they might be saving their best performance for the Olympics.

Also Read: Full list of Malaysia contingent for Paris Olympics 2024

Azizulhasni Awang (Track Cycling)

Azizulhasni Awang is known as the “Pocket Rocketman” due to his small stature with fierce speed. Azizulhasni has already won a bronze medal in Rio and a silver in Tokyo. The 36-year-old looks to become the second Malaysian to win three Olympic medals.

The gold medal is missing from his cabinet and it could be be gained at Paris Olympics 2024. He had heart surgery in 2022, but he’s back and ready to compete.

Shah Firdaus Sahrom (Track Cycling)

Shah Firdaus Sahrom is another track cyclist, seen as the next big star after Azizulhasni. He’s 28 years old and is making his second Olympics appearance. Sahrom is a three-time Asian games medallist and will be competing in sprinting and keirin.

Fans call him “The Terminator” because he keeps coming back to compete even after bad crashes. In Paris, he’s expected to help Azizulhasni, but he might also have a chance to win a medal.

Aniq Kasdan (Weightlifting)

Aniq Kasdan is a 22-year-old weightlifter competing in his first Olympics. He is the first Malaysian weightlifter to win a medal in the world championships. He has so far won two medals at the world championships.

The youngster is competing in the 61kg weight division. To have a chance at winning a medal at Paris Olympics 2024, he needs to lift atleast 305 kilograms in total. In training, he’s already lifted 302 kilograms. Kasdan will look to secure his nation’s first Olympic medal in weightlifting.

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