Lee keeps her London dream alive for Hong Kong
Hong Kong's Lee Wai-sze has kept her Olympic hopes alive after a seventh-place finish in the women's sprint at the World Cup Track Classic in Cali, Colombia, yesterday.
The Guangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist had a flying start, winning the 37-strong rider qualifying round, but was unable to maintain the pace in the quarter-finals as the 24-year-old lost 2-1 to Cueff Virginie of France for a berth in the last four. However, the result still brings her precious Olympic ranking points.
Only the top eight individual sprinters can go to London next summer and Lee, now ninth in the overall qualifying rankings, has a great chance of making it through.
In the men's omnium, Kwok Ho-ting continued his fine form with a third-place finish in the scratch race. Five riders were able to lap the peloton for one lap in the 15-kilometre race and Kwok was the third rider to cross the finishing line after 60 laps. The 23-year-old, who won the omnium points race on the opening day, eventually came ninth overall in the six-discipline competition following another two 12th-place positions in both the individual pursuit and time trial.
'The results look very encouraging so far and are following our long-term training plans for preparing for the Olympic qualifiers,' said Cycling Association deputy general secretary Hung Chung-yam.
'It's a long road ahead but we want to send as many riders as possible to the Olympic Games.'
Hong Kong have already qualified for one place in the men's road race, while Chan Chun-hing has a good chance in the men's mountain bike (cross-country) after making his Olympics debut in Beijing.
