Paris Olympics 2024: expect team tactics in Jason Ng v Ayan Beisenbayev battle, says triathlon coach Andrew Wright
- Hong Kong Olympic hopeful Ng and rival Beisenbayev are competing for the remaining ‘new flag’ Olympics berth
- With Ng slightly ahead in the standings, the Kazakh’s team has stacked the field with his teammates to try to gain an advantage
Head coach Andrew Wright believes there will be a lot of team tactics at play when Hong Kong’s Olympic triathlon hopeful Jason Ng Tai-long goes head-to-head with his rival Ayan Beisenbayev for the third time in as many weekends in Kazakhstan on Saturday.
Ng and Beisenbayev are competing for the remaining “new flag” berth, reserved for the highest-ranked Asian nation or region not already represented at the Paris Olympic Games, with Ng still enjoying a marginal lead in the rankings.
The Kazakh triathlete needs a podium finish at the Asia Cup event in Burabay to overtake the Hongkonger, and Wright is predicting a “great battle” as the strengths of both teams differ.
“Swim is the worst [for Beisenbayev] and he is a pretty good runner … their run speeds are pretty similar but our swim and bike legs are generally stronger,” Wright said.
The hosts are lining up 14 athletes, eight more than they did in Jiangsu last Saturday, around Beisenbayev while Hong Kong have retained the same squad with Robin Elg, Mark Yu Shing-him and Oscar Coggins flanking Ng.
The city’s head coach, however, is not too concerned about the numerical advantage Kazakhstan may possess.
