PETALING JAYA: Malaysia went off track in all three cycling events but they don’t have to walk with heads hung low as the riders rode to their personal bests.

And coach Sallehudin Mohd Noh was brimming with pride at the Izu Velodrome.

Malaysia’s Mohd Yusof Hafizi Shaharuddin finished seventh with a time of 3:58.413s in the men’s 3km individual pursuit (C1) qualifying but he surpassed his old mark of 4:02.959 set in a para event in Milton last year.

Russian Paralympic Committee rider Mikhail Astashov, who was fastest in the race, broke the world record with a time of 3:35.954.

“Our riders did not win anything but all of them had set their personal bests. Yusof’s focus on bio-mechanics has rewarded him with his fastest time,” said Sallehudin, who is also the the deputy chef de mission.

In the men’s 1km time trial (C4-C5), Zuhairie Ahmad Tarmizi (1:06.472) and Mohd Hafiz Jamali (1:11.288) came in 10th and 19th respectively but they went the distance to improve on their times too in Tokyo.

Zuhairie’s previous best was 1:07.863 posted in Milton last year while it has taken Hafiz three years to surpass his old mark of 1:11.808 set in Malaysia in 2019.

The biggest surprise were Nur Azlia Syafinaz Zais-Nurul Suhada Zainal in the women’s 1km time trial tandem final when they came in ninth with 1:15.005.