Tokyo 2020: Hong Kong rower Winnie Hung snatches Olympic ticket with seventh-place overall in qualification regatta
- Not easy for the lightweight rower racing against bigger rivals in open category
- Hung, 22, reached the final of 2019 under-23 World Championships, where she finished sixth
Promising Hong Kong rower Winnie Hung Wing-yan will make her Olympic debut in Tokyo this summer after booking a late ticket following the Asia and Oceania Olympic qualification regatta held in Japan last week.
Racing in the open category, the 22-year-old came seventh overall in the women’s single sculls at the Sea Forest Olympic venue in Tokyo and managed to grab a berth in her event.
The qualifiers brought together 50 crews from 18 countries in the region, racing in four events with a total 16 qualifying places for the Games (five for each of the two singles and three for each of the two lightweight doubles). A maximum of two places were available for a country who won more than one gold medal, and just one for other countries achieving a high enough ranking within the total quota for each event.
Racing conditions were challenging, according to head rowing coach Chris Perry, with the competition cancelled due to bad weather on the first day and all events subsequently compressed into two days. Racing a semi-final and final just hours apart, Hung won the B Final and captured a final quota ranking of fifth – taking the last of five Olympic tickets in her event.
Nonetheless, Perry was satisfied with the result.
