NAGOYA: China's Li Zhiwei has expressed admiration for Azizulhasni Awang after losing to the latter in the men's keirin final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday.
Zhiwei, who won the team sprint gold earlier this week, was pipped to the line by Azizulhasni in a high-speed finish at the Izu Velodrome in Shizuoka.
Zhiwei, however, harboured no disappointment after sharing the podium with one of the sport's all-time greats.
"From the time I started cycling, he was already at his peak. Now he's already 38 and still here," said Zhiwei.
"He's a great role model for me, and this was a very valuable experience for me."