Hong Kong Athletics Championships: hurdler Vera Lui close to breaking 30-year-old record
- Lui says she has worked on her technique since last year’s Asian Games and is heading ‘in the right direction’
- Tiffany Yue unable to qualify for Paris Olympics in long jump, but maintains she still has time
The city’s top female hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu believes she is on the right track after coming agonisingly close to breaking a 30-year-old record at the Hong Kong Athletics Championships on Sunday.
Lui ran 13.15 seconds in the 100 metre hurdles heats at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, 0.01 seconds off the Hong Kong record set by Chan Sau-ying in the United States in 1994.
“I wasn’t really expecting a time but just trying my best and doing what I need to on the lane,” she said. “I was really focused this morning knowing I don’t have to worry much. A lot of things could happen when competing overseas, so it’s better to be at home.”
Lui failed to replicate her morning time in the afternoon, but her 13.27 was more than enough to defend her title. Abbie Taddeo of Australia finished second 0.08 behind, with Vietnam’s Bui Thi Nguyen rounding out the podium with a time of 13.68.
The Hongkonger said she had spent a lot of time working on her technique after finishing sixth at the Asian Games last October, and felt she was heading “in the right direction”.
