National sprint ace Mohd Azeem Fahmi narrowly missed a podium finish in the men's 100m final at the World University Games.

The Auburn University athlete clocked 10.35s, finishing fourth in a closely contested final in Bochum, Germany.

Despite the disappointment, Azeem remained composed, exhibiting the maturity of an athlete familiar with setbacks.

"These things happen," he said on Wednesday (July 23). "I gave it my all, and I’m grateful I finished the race."

He added, "I did my best under tough weather conditions with a wet track from the rain. Competing in Europe was an adjustment, but that's no excuse."

South Africa’s Bayanda Joy Walaza won gold with 10.16s, followed by Thailand’s Puripol Boonson (10.22s) and Japan’s Hiroki Yanagita (10.23s).

Azeem, a bronze medallist from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, was just 0.12s off the top spot.

He started well, leading the first 30 metres, but his competitors gained momentum, leaving him unable to catch up.

Instead of letting the near-miss weigh him down, he is using it as motivation for growth.

"I didn’t come here just to make the final. My goal was to reach the podium, so missing out hurts even more," he added.

"But in my career, I keep telling myself, there's a reason why things happen. I take this as a lesson to improve and hopefully achieve more success in the future."

Azeem’s perspective is shaped by his international experience, where consistency and resilience are as crucial as speed.

Meanwhile, in the men's 400m event, fellow Malaysian Umar Osman failed to reach the final, placing 15th overall in the semi-finals with 47.10s.

Despite mixed results, the outing in Germany serves as a valuable benchmark for Malaysia’s young athletes with bigger meets ahead.

Azeem will compete in the 200m and the 4x100m in Bochum.

His message is clear; he may have missed the podium this time, but his ambition remains undeterred.

The track has more in store, and he’s far from done chasing greatness.