Youngster Lee Sze-wing wins women’s individual cycling road race gold at National Games
- The 2019 Asian junior champion beat a bunch of experienced riders and bags Hong Kong’s second gold medal before the closing ceremony on Monday
- The 20-year-old Lee also becomes the first Hong Kong female rider to win the individual road race after Wong Kam-po’s treble
Youngster Lee Sze-wing struck gold in the women’s individual road race as Hong Kong saved their best for last at the National Games in Xian on Sunday, on the eve of the closing ceremony.
Racing in Shangluo, 120km southeast of Xian, the 20-year-old local ace beat a bunch of experienced riders as Hong Kong continued their excellent cycling record at the games. Now-retired Wong Kam-po collected three road race titles in 1997, 2001 and 2009 while it was Hong Kong’s first gold in the women’s competition.
In a mass sprint finish on a flat course, games debutant Lee outsprinted the rest of the field to complete the three-lap, 108km race in three hours four minutes and 42 seconds. She was followed by Chang Yue, of Yunnan, while Sun Jiajun, of Liaoning, was third. Another Hong Kong rider, Yang Qianyu, the 2017 Asian champion, finished fifth, the same position she achieved at her last games in Tianjin.
“It’s a big surprise and a wonderful result for me and Hong Kong,” said Lee after her victory. “This is the first time I took part in a multi-sport games and I never expected winning. The game plan was my teammate Yang to launch an attack first in the final stages and if she got caught, I would take up the role in the final sprint.
“Thanks to my teammates. They put me in such a good position so that I could dash to the finish in the last 500 metres. Without their help, I won’t be able to achieve it.”
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All top 64 riders were given an identical time, with Leung Wing-yee of Hong Kong finishing 65th in 4:04:52, 10 seconds behind the peloton. Leung Bo-yee was 38th while Pang Yao was 57th for Hong Kong.
Lee Sze-wing wins the women’s road race at National Games
The women’s individual road race was originally scheduled for Monday before the closing ceremony but organisers – worried about the unstable weather in the area – decided to move the schedule one day ahead. They also changed the course to more flat roads in the fear of possible landslides on the mountain areas after it was hit by heavy rain. The changes suited sprinter Lee.
Lee claimed the second gold for Hong Kong at the Xian Games after fellow teammate Sarah Lee Wai-sze won the first in women’s sprint on the track, equalling the two-gold record Hong Kong won at the last games in Tianjin four years ago. Both golds also came from cycling. Now-retired Meng Zhaojuan won a road race silver for Hong Kong at the last games. Hong Kong cyclists have won at least one gold medal at each National Games since the city made its debut at the 1997 Shanghai Games.
A relieved Cycling Association chief Leung Hung-tak paid tribute to Lee, who only turned full time after lifting the Asian junior road race title in Uzbekistan in 2019.
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“You have to believe in yourself,” said the chief, former men’s road race captain for Hong Kong in the 1980s. “When she gained a good position for the final sprint, she was brave enough to power up her legs for the medal challenge despite facing many experienced riders. And the flat course also suited her.
“Lee has already proven herself in track events when she finished fourth in the omnium two weeks ago. She can do well in all endurance events, no matter whether it’s track or road race. She is still young and has plenty of room for improvement.”
Despite the two gold medals, Leung still felt sorry for the men’s team as only Leung Ka-yu won a bronze medal in the omnium following the departure of two key members, Cheung King-lok and Fung Ka-hoo, a few months before the games.
