Letters | At Olympic trials, let Hong Kong swimmers make waves before cheering crowds

Readers discuss the public not being allowed to attend a swimming qualification event for the Paris Games, and tapping mainland stars as a tourist draw

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Yeung Hoi-ching breaks the Hong Kong record in the women’s 200m butterfly during the National Long Course Swimming Trial at the Hong Kong Sports Institute in Fo Tan on April 14. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 11:30am, 18 Apr 2024Updated: 12:35pm, 18 Apr 2024

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This past weekend, a qualifying competition for Hong Kong’s Olympic swimming team was held at the Sports Institute but the public was not allowed to attend. This was just days after Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that Hongkongers would be able to watch the Paris Olympics on television for free.

In several countries, the Olympic trials are open to the public and often sold out. This year in the United States, the demand has been so great that the Olympic trials for swimming will be held at a football stadium which seats over 60,000 people, with the use of temporarily installed pools.

The Sports Institute, which has a swimming venue with seating for 1,500 people, has done a great disservice to both today’s athletes and tomorrow’s. It thwarted a chance for athletic development through competitions with cheering audiences, and for up-and-coming swimmers to be inspired by their heroes.

With government funds being spent on top athletic performance, and Mr Lee’s vision of the Olympics being watched by everyone, this is another example of Hong Kong institutions not hearing each other’s calls to action.

The public pays for the Sports Institute, but when I asked why the public could not attend, I was told that it was the policy. I do not believe there are many studies which show that athletes can excel at large global sporting events by taking part in competitions held behind closed doors without the excitement and unplanned situations arising from the presence of an audience that need to be navigated to perform well.

Why does this policy exist? Is it related to outdated health worries about public interaction or the hope of creating a bubble of safety, although this will never be replicated in any other city or event?