Paris Olympics: Hong Kong windsurfer Cheng overcomes pre-race jitters in quest for medal
- The 25-year-old suffered from anxiety until a psychologist helped address the issue, leaving him ‘nervous but excited’ about the Games
Hong Kong windsurfer Cheng Ching-yin used to be crippled by nerves before big events but he is now targeting a medal at the Paris Olympics after learning to thrive under pressure.
Bringing in a sports psychologist helped turn things around for Cheng, who still suffers from pre-race butterflies but is directing the energy in a positive manner, according to head coach Chan King-yin.
The windsurfing team begin their Olympic campaign in the southern French city of Marseille on July 28, with the final expected to take place on August 2, and Chan, who won gold at the 2006 Asian Games, said they had been working with Cheng for two years to “handle the stress”.
Aside from working on the mental aspect of the sport, Cheng’s lack of familiarity with the competition format and race routes had also contributed to the tension he felt, so his coaches organised more practice regattas.
“He’s getting better and better. He is still nervous, but actually, in most races, he can reach the top three,” Chan said. “He thinks that he is nervous, but you know, now he thrives under it.”
Since working with a sports psychologist, Cheng, now 25, has finished first in the 2022 iQFoil Asian Windsurfing Championships and won bronze at last year’s Asian Games.
