Hong Kong’s 50-year-old 1,500m athletics record finally broken by amateur runner
- The previous record, set by Dave Gibson in Manila in 1972, is broken during a competition in Tokyo
Hong Kong’s longest-standing athletics record has been broken after Wesley Chan Wai-chung sliced almost 0.3 seconds off the 52-year-old 1,500 metres men’s record in Japan on Saturday.
Chan, 26, crossed the finish line in three minutes, 55.31 seconds during a competition at the Tokai University in Tokyo, to become the city’s record holder.
The previous record was held by Dave Gibson, who clocked three minutes, 55.6 seconds in Manila in 1972.
Chan, who finished third in 2021 and then second in 2023 in the Hong Kong half marathon, had flirted with Gibson’s record several times, including finishing in three minutes, 56.24 seconds at a Japan university competition earlier this month.
Sharing his thoughts on social media, the middle-distance runner said breaking the record was not a “sudden surprise” but a result of long-term efforts and communication with his coach Wong Yung-chu.
“Although my performance did not meet the expectations in my three races in Japan, I will learn from each race,” he wrote. “I need to communicate with my coach to make adjustments and improvements in training, including the in-race strategies.
