KUALA LUMPUR — National sprinter Muhammad Azeem Mohd Fahmi shattered his own national indoor 60-metre record at the Tiger Paw Invitational in California yesterday.
The 21-year-old, who is based in the United States, clocked 6.60 seconds in the semi-finals, surpassing his previous record of 6.62s set at the same championship two years ago while representing Auburn University.
According to Malaysia Athletics Federation (MAF) technical director Robert J. Ballard, Azeem had initially matched his national record with a 6.62-s run in the heats before improving his time in the semi-finals. However, he opted to withdraw from the final to prioritise recovery.
“Azeem didn’t want to push his body too hard as he felt he needed to rest, especially with another championship coming up in Texas in two weeks. He had a lot of good runs and decided to call it a day after breaking the national record.
“We’re pleased with his performance and look forward to seeing him break even more records,” Ballard told Bernama today.
The event was won by Adekalu Fakorede of Mississippi State University, with Travis Williams of the University of Southern California finishing second.
Following his record-breaking run, Azeem took to Instagram to express his joy, writing: “After two years, we are back on track. Alhamdulillah, a national record.”
He must rank among the top 16 to qualify for the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Championship final next month. — February 15, 2025