Hong Kong cyclist Jessica Lee retires, leaving bosses scrambling to find team for Asian Games in Hangzhou
- The 31-year-old sprinter from Glasgow decides to call it a day after representing Hong Kong at Tokyo Olympics last summer
- Sarah Lee won four individual sprint medals at past two Asian Games but will only focus on team event in Hangzhou
Hong Kong cycling bosses have been left scrambling to fill their Asian Games spots after the retirement of sprinter Jessica Lee Hoi-yan.
Lee, who represented the city at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, had been expected to compete in the individual cycling events in Hangzhou in September.
But her “difficult decision” to retire means the Hong Kong Cycling Association will have to look elsewhere, because Sarah Lee Wai-sze, who won bronze in Tokyo has said she will only compete in team events.
“It was a difficult decision,” Jessica Lee said. “And as from 2022 I have retired from professional cycling, it was a chapter of my life that I’d cherish forever, it has been life changing.
“I have met some incredibly strong people from all around the world and you are all precious. What a privilege to have represented Hong Kong and at the Olympic Games.”
Sarah Lee won four golds in the women’s individual sprint and keirin events at the past two Asian Games in Incheon and Jakarta, but the track cycling star, who will be 35 when the Games start, previously said she would not compete in the individual events this time around.
Jessica Lee, who competed alongside Sarah Lee at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, would have been first choice to replace her compatriot in the two individual events, but her decision to quit professional cycling has changed everything.
