‘I hope people don’t focus only on my looks ... but it helps,’ says high jumper and part-time model Cecilia Yeung
Hong Kong star is hoping fans will also recognise her athletic abilities as she prepares for a series of international events
High-jumper Cecilia Yeung Man-wai hopes people can focus more on her sporting abilities rather than her appearance, with the Hong Kong record holder and part-time model proving a big hit with Hong Kong fans.
However, she admits that looks can be an advantage if it helps to promote sports and send a positive message to the community.
“Of course I don’t want people to focus only on my appearance as I am a committed athlete who always strives to achieve the best result,” said the 23-year-old University of Hong Kong student. “But if it can get more people to pay attention to sports and bring out the message of chasing your own dreams with a passion, like what I am doing in sports, it may not be a bad thing.”
Hong Kong fans have fallen for Yeung and call her the “Goddess of Hong Kong sports” and her presence in the annual Hong Kong Championships attracted plenty of media attention.
The Amateur Athletic Association also invited three overseas athletes for the women’s high jump, hoping the competition would push Yeung to make an impact in front of her home crowd.
In the end, Yeung managed to clear 1.81 metres, seven centimetres short of her own record, putting her behind Australian Hannah Joye’s 1.87 metres, while the two other overseas jumpers – Thailand’s Boonwan Wanida and Australia’s Zoe Timmers – cleared 1.78 metres.
