Youngster Lee Sze-wing wins women’s individual cycling road race gold at National Games
- The 2019 Asian junior champion beat a bunch of experienced riders and bags Hong Kong’s second gold medal before the closing ceremony on Monday
- The 20-year-old Lee also becomes the first Hong Kong female rider to win the individual road race after Wong Kam-po’s treble
Youngster Lee Sze-wing struck gold in the women’s individual road race as Hong Kong saved their best for last at the National Games in Xian on Sunday, on the eve of the closing ceremony.
Racing in Shangluo, 120km southeast of Xian, the 20-year-old local ace beat a bunch of experienced riders as Hong Kong continued their excellent cycling record at the games. Now-retired Wong Kam-po collected three road race titles in 1997, 2001 and 2009 while it was Hong Kong’s first gold in the women’s competition.
In a mass sprint finish on a flat course, games debutant Lee outsprinted the rest of the field to complete the three-lap, 108km race in three hours four minutes and 42 seconds. She was followed by Chang Yue, of Yunnan, while Sun Jiajun, of Liaoning, was third. Another Hong Kong rider, Yang Qianyu, the 2017 Asian champion, finished fifth, the same position she achieved at her last games in Tianjin.
“It’s a big surprise and a wonderful result for me and Hong Kong,” said Lee after her victory. “This is the first time I took part in a multi-sport games and I never expected winning. The game plan was my teammate Yang to launch an attack first in the final stages and if she got caught, I would take up the role in the final sprint.
“Thanks to my teammates. They put me in such a good position so that I could dash to the finish in the last 500 metres. Without their help, I won’t be able to achieve it.”
