Two swimmers with a mission
Two up-and-coming swimmers from Diocesan Boys' School are all set for the New World Cross Harbour Race 2011 on October 16.
A maximum of 1,000 swimmers will compete in the event, which is being held for the first time since 1978. Fifth-former Nicholas Lau Chak-lam is confident he will finish with a place on the podium.
Local youngsters have no experience swimming across Victoria Harbour. But Nicholas warmed up for the race at other venues this year. He took part in open-water races at Gold Coast in Tuen Mun and at Tai Mei Tuk, winning a gold and a silver medal in his age group, respectively.
'The distance for the harbour race is in between those for the two competitions. The Gold Coast race was 600m and Tai Mei Tuk was 3,000m. And this time, the route for the Victoria Harbour race is 1,800m,' Nicholas says. 'So I am quite confident I can do well, just as I have done in the other races.'
Even though 1.82m-tall Nicholas is not on the Hong Kong national squad, his performance in long-distance events matches those of top swimmers. He represented Hong Kong at the sixth Asian Age Group Swimming Championships in Tokyo, Japan, two years ago and finished fourth in the 1,500m freestyle event.
The 16-year-old star has some tips for those taking part in the cross-harbour race.
'The wind direction is important. We can make use of the wind to swim faster, but it can also slow us down if we are swimming against it,' he says.
'We should maintain our own pace and not follow anyone else. I will have my own rhythm even if I see someone ahead of me.
'This is important for an open-water race. Otherwise, you may waste energy trying to catch up with others.'
Nicholas' schoolmate Ng Yan-kin, a Form Two student, will take part in the men's team event, together with two others of the same age from his swimming club at Hoi Tin Athletic Association. Yan-kin has a personal mission.
'My father took part in the last harbour race, in 1978, before it was suspended [because of pollution],' he says.
'He was 20 and has a snapshot of him finishing the race. When I first took part in an open-water race at age nine, he showed me the photo and certificate proving his participation in the race.
'I was inspired and want to have good memories and outstanding results, just like my dad.'
His father, Denny Ng Yuk-kong, is not taking part this year, but Yan-kin is swimming for him.
Though it is a 'rebirth' of the old cross-harbour race, the route for this year's race is totally different.
Competitors will swim from Sam Ka Tsuen pier in Lei Yue Mun to the Quarry Bay Park pier later this month.
Decades ago, participants swam from the Tsim Sha Tsui pier to Queen's Pier in Central.
Still, Yan-kin's dad will have some tips for his son.
'I helped with the trial race,' he says. 'I watched the swimmers who had a trial race at the same place earlier this year. And I am confident that my past experience and new on-site observations will help my son to perform well.'
However, Ng may not be able to see his 14-year-old son swim on the big day, as he will be helping out at the competition.
'I hope to have a top-10 finish with my teammates,' Yan-kin says. 'My teammates and I won't swim together at the same speed, as this may slow all of us down.
'And after the race, I will ask them to take a picture, just like the one my father had 33 years ago.'
The three-man teams will be ranked depending on the position of the team's last swimmer.
