Hong Kong Cross Harbour Race: 3,000 swim in annual event, with city’s Nip Tsz-yin on podium as Japan wins men’s and women’s categories
- Nip is third woman home as New World Harbour Race, while Rosanna Sze, a four-time Olympian in the pool, finishes the elite race for the first time
- Japan’s Kaiki Furuhata wins the men’s category, with Hanano Kato first in the women’s
Japan swept first place for both men and women in swimming’s New World Harbour Race, while Hong Kong clinched a spot on the women’s podium with Asian Games athlete Nip Tsz-yin finishing third.
Crowds in the hundreds gathered in cool, damp conditions early on Sunday morning to watch the start at Wan Chai ferry pier and the finish at Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui.
After having reduced the field to 1,500 last year because of Covid-19 regulations, this year organisers raised the entrant quota to 4,000 but some swimmers missed out because of failed or cancelled swimming tests.
With 2,860 taking part, including about 300 swimming in the elite racing group, it was a pair of debutants in the annual event who took top honours, as Hanano Kato won the women’s race in 15 minutes, 46.30 seconds and Kaiki Furuhata clocked 14:43.90 in the men’s.
“The weather was cloudy and windy, so the waves were a little strong, but it was easier to swim than I expected,” Kato said. “It was fun to swim in a place with such beautiful scenery.”
Furuhata echoed her sentiment, saying: “I was able to swim comfortably and it was my first experience swimming while looking at the view of buildings, and it was spectacular.”
