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Mike Chan

Veteran triathlete Hilda Choi Yan-yin is ready to put her frustrations behind her after making the cut for the Asia Sprint Championships in Dexing, China, this weekend.
It will be the Hongkonger’s first triathlon race, of any distance, since suffering a nasty injury that almost cost her the middle finger of her left hand last September.
The injury needed three surgeries to repair and robbed Choi of a third appearance at an Asian Games, but the 30-year-old said she felt as though she had “grown up a lot” because of her ordeal.
“Whether it’s about understanding, relaxing or adjusting my emotions, I was able to rediscover myself and understand what I want to do most,” Choi said.

And the 2018 Asian Games medallist, who took mixed relay bronze alongside Bailee Brown, Wong Tsz-to and Law Leong-tim in Jakarta, added she had “learned much more” about herself since the setback.
“My aim this year is to participate in more long-distance competitions because I want to find a new breakthrough in training,” she said.
“I had been practising for the sprints for a long time so switching between the Olympics version and the sprint version could bring something new to me, too.
“And it’s a good time to do so because there aren’t too many major events this year, but there’s the National Games [next year] and Asian Games [in Nagoya in 2026] coming up, so I can catch up slowly.”

Choi, who finished first in the selection race held after the city’s World Triathlon Cup last Sunday, also hinted at doing a half ironman, which is a combined distance of 70.3 miles (113 kilometres), and restated her ambition to take part in Nagoya.
While Choi will join the ranks of Brown, Charlotte Hall, Cade Wright, Tallulah Wright and Pauline Courret at the championships on Sunday, Oscar Coggins is set to miss out despite coming second to Yip Tak-long in the men’s selection.
It was the first race for the 24-year-old after failing to finish at last year’s Games in Hangzhou, leaving the event after the swim leg at Qiandao Lake.
Coggins was the fastest out of the water last Sunday and enjoyed a nine-second advantage over eventual winner Yip, but eventually finished 21 seconds behind, in one hour and 14 seconds.
Head coach Andrew Wright revealed it was a mutual decision to leave Coggins at home because the triathlete, “isn’t fit enough to be competitive at this moment”.
Taking Coggins’ place will be Lam Lok-shi, with Olympics hopeful Jason Ng Tai-long, Robin Elg, Mark Yu Shing-him, Nicholas Tsang Cheung-shing and Yip completing the list.

Ng will certainly be hoping for better luck after getting flat tyres in back-to-back races in Xiamen last November and in Hong Kong last week, while Elg, who finished ninth and 10th in the past two continental sprint championships, is eyeing a personal-best finish.
“I had a good race [at the World Cup] which went above expectations,” said the 22-year-old, who finished 23rd to become the city’s top performer.
“I think throughout the year it’s going to be better and better. Give me two years and I will be racing the top guys.
“I want to be Hong Kong’s No 1, consistently, because at the moment Ng is slightly better than me on the run.”
Elg said he expected to “have a very good race” at the Asia Triathlon Championships in Hatsukaichi, Japan on April 21, and is targeting top five finishes in both events.


Paris Olympics: Asia’s standards not good enough, Japan triathlete Kenji Nener says

Paris Olympics: Jason Ng fails to finish triathlon, doubts he can call himself an ‘Olympian’

Paris Olympics day 5: Siobhan Haughey takes bronze in 100m freestyle – as it happened

Paris Olympics: triathlon races to go ahead officials say, as river pollution levels drop

Triathlon

Asia Sprint Championships: Hong Kong triathlete Hilda Choi seeks ‘new breakthrough’ after gruesome finger injury

The finger injury not only cost Choi her a third appearance at the Asian Games but also saw her have three surgeries. Photo: Nora Tam

Hilda Choi (left) will compete with fellow 2018 Asian Games medallist Bailee Brown in Dexing. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Oscar Coggins misses out despite coming in second to Yip Tak-long in the selection race. Photo: Facebook

Robin Elg wants to overtake Jason Ng and become Hong Kong’s No 1. Photo: Elson Li

World Triathlon Cup: Hong Kong pair Ng and Brown still in Olympics race despite struggling in home event

Hong Kong’s Bailee Brown crosses the finish line in the World Triathlon Cup event in the city. Photo: Elson Li

The elite women dive into the water at the start of their race at the World Triathlon Cup event in Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong’s Yu Shing-him pours water on himself after finishing his race. Photo: Elson Li

World Triathlon Cup: Zaferes, Holland line up in Hong Kong, as local pair get ready for hardest race of their lives

Hong Kong’s Bailee Brown answers questions during the World Triathlon Cup Hong Kong press conference. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

American Katie Zaferes will be one of the favourites to win the elite women’s race. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Jason Ng claimed silver the last time he raced in Hong Kong. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Hong Kong officials apologise for fresh national anthem blunder, launch internal review after triathlon mix-up

Sian Rainsley won the Hong Kong leg of the World Triathlon Cup, but the wrong national anthem was played after she received her gold medal. Photo: Elson Li

Sian Rainsley (centre) was joined on the podium by Americans Katie Zaferes and Kirsten Kamper. Photo: Elson Li

World Triathlon Cup: Zaferes eyes Olympic farewell after Hong Kong redemption, Rainsley, Gonzalez claim first wins

Sian Rainsley (centre) won the Hong Kong Triathlon World Cup, with US pair Katie Zaferes and Kirsten Kasper second and third. Photo: Elson Li

British athlete Rainsley won her first World Cup to consign an injury-ruined 2023 to history. Photo: Elson Li

Alberto Gonzalez Garcia won the men’s race, with Antonio Serrat Seoane second, and Kenji Nener third. Photo: Elson Li

Sport

Hong Kong

Outdoor

Race on Sunday will be her first triathlon of any distance since injuring and almost losing her left middle finger last September
Also in the Hong Kong team are Bailee Brown and Yip Tak-long but Oscar Coggins misses out, replaced by Lam Lok-shi


The race in China on Sunday will be her first triathlon of any distance since sustaining a nasty injury to her left middle finger last September.


Asia Sprint Championships: Hong Kong triathlete Hilda Choi seeks ‘new breakthrough’ after gruesome finger injury

Race on Sunday will be her first triathlon of any distance since injuring and almost losing her left middle finger last September Also in the Hong Kong team are Bailee Brown and Yip Tak-long but Oscar Coggins misses out, replaced by Lam Lok-shi

Race on Sunday will be her first triathlon of any distance since injuring and almost losing her left middle finger last September

Also in the Hong Kong team are Bailee Brown and Yip Tak-long but Oscar Coggins misses out, replaced by Lam Lok-shi