Hong Kong windsurfer sheds 10kg ahead of Asian Games debut – with another 10 to go
- Promising windsurfer Au Ling-yeung, 20, is looking to lose 20 kilos before April, and is already halfway to his target
- Asian Games windsurfers dominated the last leg of the 2022 Hong Kong windsurfing circuit in Shek O, winning men’s and women’s IQFoil and RS: X
With RS: X making its swansong at the Asian Games this summer, the 20-year-old Au Ling-yeung hopes to win gold and has shown his determination by losing more than 10 kilograms in the last two weeks, with another 10kg to lose to fit the class.
Due to the light wind at Shek O, the last leg of the 2022 Hong Kong Windsurfing circuit concluded on Sunday with only two races, with Hangzhou Asian Games foursome Cheng Ching-ying and Ma Kwan-ching winning the men’s and women’s IQFoil, and Ngai Wai-yan and Au finishing first and second in the mixed RS: X class.
“I actually do not have much experience in RS: X. Today is really difficult under this weather. I had to pump my sail every second,” said Au, who had only one year of RS: X competition experience before focusing on IQFoil in 2019.
The Association finalised the Hangzhou Asian Games name list last week, with internal selection winners Cheng and Ma chosen for IQFoil, the new Olympic class, and runners-up Au and Ngai set to compete in the RS: X.
The young Hongkonger, who weighed 72kg when he joined the city’s squad in 2017, has bulked up to 92kg with over 4,500 calories to consume per day since 2021, when they discovered that heavier weights have better control in IQFoil.
And now he is limited to 1,300 calories per day, with the Hongkonger aiming to lose 20kg before heading to Europe for RS: X training in late April, and he is already halfway there.
