Asian Games: Hong Kong’s women lay down sprint marker as trio dip below 12 seconds in 100m final
- Kong Chun-ki, Chan Pui-kei and Leung Kwan-yi battle it out at Wan Chan Sports Ground
- Personal bests for Kong and Chan convince pair to reconsider retirement plans
Hong Kong’s women have laid down an early marker for the Asian Games, with three going under 12 seconds in the 100m finals at the first of the city’s athletics series events on Saturday.
And for winner Kong Chun-ki, her personal best of 11.69 has made her rethink plans to quit a sport she said had grown frustrating.
Chan Pui-kei, the city’s junior record holder, clocked 11.76 to finish second, while Leung Kwan-yi was third in 11.81 at Wan Chai Sports Ground
The trio were all members of the city’s under-20 4x100 relay team, and Simon Yeung Sai-mo, vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletic Affiliates, said he could not remember “the last time three girls ran under 12s in the same race”.
“It’s especially encouraging because it’s only the Athletics Series 1,” she said. “I’m confident they’ll produce a better time in future events. I think we are also a strong contender in the 4x100m at both the Asian Championships [in July] and the Asian Games [in September].”
Kong, a primary school teacher who is also doing a postgraduate course in education, was delighted to have run a personal best, and broken 12 seconds within a legal wind limit.
