Tokyo 2020: Hong Kong long jumper Chan Ming-tai hopes for 8m leap as he eyes wild card entry to Summer Olympics
- The Hong Kong record holder is unlikely to make it to the Games through ranking or qualifying mark so he needs to convince selectors he is deserving of a wild card
- Chan claims the men’s long jump title at the Athletics Series 2 meeting in Siu Sai Wan with a leap of 7.40 metres, well short of the Olympic standard of 8.22m
Chan Ming-tai’s Tokyo Olympic hopes rests on his ability to leap close to eight metres, the Hong Kong long jumper said.
The 26-year-old won the Hong Kong Athletics Series 2 long jump event at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground on Sunday with a fifth jump of 7.40 metres, well short of the Olympic qualifying mark of 8.22 metres set by World Athletics.
Chan, though, is looking for the wild card route through which he qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics. If no Hong Kong men’s athletes can book a place in Tokyo, either by reaching the required entry mark or via the world rankings, the city will still be eligible for a wild card into the Games.
Chan’s Rio wild card was made available after he set a Hong Kong record of 8.12 metres in 2016 and he is hoping for a repeat this year.
“My target is to jump close to eight metres which I am confident of doing and then to see if this result is good enough to earn a wild card for me,” he said. “Other Hong Kong men’s athletes are attempting to earn this wild card by excelling in their own disciplines but their results are out of my control.”
The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates will formulate a scoring table of results achieved by athletes in different disciplines before making its recommendation for the Olympic wild card.
Sprinter Ng Ka-fung, who did not enter the event on Sunday and a couple of hurdlers are likely to challenge Chan. The long jumper, who entered all three meets this season, is confident of improving his form with this weekend’s Hong Kong Championships his major target.
“I feel I am getting closer and if I can get a good result in the Championships, I would probably go overseas to have more competitions to improve my results,” he said. “My form is there and I just need a finishing touch to complete the job.”
