Triathlon needs 'better selection' to win back top status at Hong Kong Sports Institute
Athlete Ivan Lo says they must look outside the system to win back tier A ranking
Top athlete Ivan Lo Ching-hin says an "improved selection policy" would pave the way for triathlon's quick return to tier A status at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
Triathlon was demoted last week from the elite level to a tier B sport and will lose millions of dollars in support as well as a head coach funded by the elite academy. This is a result of failing to win a medal at the Asian Games in Incheon last year.
"Triathlon Hong Kong [TriHK] needs to be more flexible and not too stubborn on rules for selection," said Lo, Hong Kong's top senior triathlete. "We have to choose the best teams to get the best results. There are lots of good athletes who train outside the 'system' and still can race as good as the high-performance athletes at the institute.
There are lots of good athletes who train outside the 'system' and still can race as good as the high-performance athletes at the institute
"I don't know much about other [elite] sports in Hong Kong but for triathlon we need to have a broad outlook. I know this because I have been in this situation myself. We should be like swimming where they always choose the best athlete regardless of where they train or who their coach is," Lo added.
A rigid selection policy by TriHK in the past has led to some of the top athletes - who opted to train outside the Sports Institute - being ruled out of representing Hong Kong at major events. Lo is one such athlete, training with a private party as he couldn't find the time to travel to the Fo Tan-based elite academy.
"Unfortunately we didn't get good enough results to get funding. But personally, I believe it could be a positive thing, for the athletes will now have to train even harder and race harder," Lo said.
