Tokyo 2020: Christy Yiu breaks Hong Kong marathon record on Gold Coast but misses out on Olympic spot
- Runner breaks one of oldest national records but finishes just one place outside Olympic qualification
- Athletic Association has high hopes of her qualifying for second Games as she heads to the World Championships in Doha
Christy Yiu Kit-ching shattered one of the oldest Hong Kong records when she finished sixth in the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia on Sunday, just one place short of the required entry standard for next year’s Olympic Games.
The 31-year-old’s time of two hours, 34 minutes and seven seconds broke Maggie Chan Man-yee’s mark set in 2004 by almost two minutes and represents a significant step towards her goal of making a second appearance in an Olympic marathon.
It was her first marathon since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Chan, who has now retired from competitive running, clocked 2:35:49 in the United States more than 20 years ago.
“I have reached a little target but missed the one I wanted most – reaching the top five,” said Yiu, who clocked 2:36:11 when she raced in Rio. “But I am really pleased to have broken the Hong Kong record, which has been there for a long time. I present the performance as a gift to my coach, whose birthday was on Saturday.
“I also need to thank my husband Chan Ka-ho for doing a good job as a pacer for me. He helped a lot in the first 25 kilometres to get me into the right rhythm.”