Cyclist Meng Zhaojuan shrugged off a disappointing year to bring home a medal as Hong Kong wrapped up the National Games with a silver in the women’s individual road race in Tianjin on Friday.
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The silverware is the seventh from the cycling team and the 16th overall from the 200-plus member delegation to Tianjin.
It is also represents the best result since Hong Kong’s debut in the National Games after the reunification with China in 1997.
Cycling also became Hong Kong’s most successful sport in the 13-day event, bringing home two golds, three silvers and two bronze medals. In fact, the sport maintained their medal streak by winning at least a gold medal in all six editions.
Sun Jiajun of Liaoning took the gold medal. Photo: Xinhua记者王建威摄
Meng, 28, injured her head seriously during a practise before the 2016 Asian Championships in Japan which almost ended her career prematurely. As a result, she lost her bid to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games and when she returned to competition in this year’s Thailand Open, which she won in 2014 and 2015, she managed only 23rd place in the general classification.
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Coach Shen Jinkang sent a strong six members to the 146-kilometre race of four laps along Tuan Po Lake in southwest Tianjin, including Yang Qianyu, the reigning Asian champion. And Yang, who had already won a gold in Tianjin through the madison with Pang Yao in the velodrome, did not let the team down as she stayed in the breakaway leading group until the final sprint, while Meng stayed behind her teammate to wait for the chance.
Meng and her teammates that helped her to the silver medal. Photo: Hong Kong Cycling Association
