Battling Chan deserves special medal for grit
There are several definitions of a 'champion' and now there is another to add to the Hong Kong windsurfing glossary - Hayley Chan Hei-man. Nine weeks ago, she was flat out on a hospital bed recovering from surgery to remove her spleen and was in agony every time she moved a muscle because of five broken ribs - injuries sustained on the front line of Olympic duty.
Her podium dreams took a tumble on June 2 when she collided with a wayward 49er racing dinghy travelling at high speed on the windsurfer course at the Olympic sailing venue of Weymouth, and everyone but Chan and her coach wrote off her debut Games showing. But despite intense back pain, the determined Hong Kong University student still managed to stand tall. Over the weekend, she lifted her sail once more and gave it her all, narrowly missing out on a medal-race berth - a Herculean effort that is perhaps deserving of a special medal for true grit. 'Seeing Hayley compete in these Olympics after what happened nine weeks ago has been a victory in itself,' said her proud coach, Rene Appel, who knows what makes a sporting hero, having coached Atlanta gold medallist and Olympic legend Lee Lai-shan.
Chan, along with male RSX windsurfing hope Andy Leung Ho-tsun, crashed out of the 2012 Olympic regatta in the heats. Fledgling surfer Leung was battling the best boardsailors in the world and finished 13th overall. Injured Chan had an extra struggle in the women's competition. She lined up against 25 other medal hopes and faced a gruelling schedule with two races each day. She took part in 10 races but finished 12th, just outside the top 10 who go through to the medal race. Yet as the last of the Olympic wind spilled from her sail, Hong Kong's magnanimous sailor washed away the disappointment and promptly thanked her coach for steering her through rough weather.
'In my eyes, Rene is the greatest coach. Ever since my accident he has been encouraging me. All the time I was in hospital, he was spurring me on. I am just happy to make him proud,' a tearful Chan said as the team began packing up their equipment in the Boat Park.
'I want to also thank Hong Kong University for being so patient and allowing me time to train full-time. And I want to thank my family and friends and all the people of Hong Kong who have supported me through the last nine weeks and cheered me on. I tried my best.'
As the pressure and drama of the last four years lifted from her shoulders, Chan was also philosophical. 'I have mixed feelings about my performance. I can't look at the 'what might have been' had I not had the accident,' she said.
'I actually think if I hadn't suffered the injuries, the pressure on me to succeed would have been immense and I would have felt more disappointed today if I did not make it into the medal race. I have to look it like that. I just missed out. I had my chances but I didn't take them. That happens. I feel pretty happy.'