How badass is Azizulhasni Awang? Over the weekend, the Malaysian cyclist crossed the finish line at the Track Cycling World Cup with a 7.8-inch piece of wood sticking through his left calf... and walked away (well, not quite literally) with a bronze medal: Cyclist has wood removed from leg after crash.You want to know what tough means? Awang was competing in the Men's Keirin Final at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, England, when he got into a high speed crash, sending a huge-ass splinter through his leg. But he managed to remount his bike and finish the race:
He was rushed to the hospital but doctors waited until Sunday to carry out the procedure to remove the splinter.That's no toothpick. The splinter was reportedly nine inches long. Fortunately, it looks like he's going to be okay, though he won't be cycling in the world championships next month. Next up, he'll be getting in shape for the 2012 Olympics in London. More here: Azizulhasni a true champion.
"Operation done. Splinter taken out cleanly," Awang wrote on his Twitter account. "Thanks for the prayer n support."
Awang, who is renowned for his trademark wheelie as he crosses the line, has been ruled out of the world championships next month.
"He was in a lot of pain but he's a really tough kid, all these Keirin riders are," Malaysia coach John Beasley was quoted as saying on the Daily Telegraph website. "It was decided to leave it overnight to get a specialist surgical team in and scan the injury from all angles to aid the operation.
"The good news is that there doesn't appear to be much nerve damage, which is your first worry."