But perhaps her greatest achievement came at the Guangzhou velodrome five years ago when she was sent flying in a pile-up during the 20km points race, and got up to win the hearts of many Hongkongers with her "never-say-die" spirit.

"I watched the video footage recently and still could not figure out where the power to finish the race came from," she said.

"Perhaps it was because it was the last time the points race was being held at the Asian Games and I knew I would never have another chance . Also, the team, the coach and many other people had high hopes in the event and I could not let them down."

Wong had to be helped up to the podium to collect her medal and was then sent to the hospital in a wheelchair, where her injuries were later revealed.

"I gave my best in every race and have no regrets," Wong said. "I am happy many people still remember that race. Sport has brought me a lot of honours over the years and a lot come with sweat and tears.

"But if I had to choose again, I would definitely do the same," said Wong, who quit the sport last month.

"I always wanted to go back to school because I don't have a good academic background, and if I do this after the next Olympic Games, I will not finish my studies until my mid-30s, which I think is a bit late to start another chapter in my life."

Wong could have carried on with the Rio Olympics looming large next year, but made her decision after the reformatting of her preferred event.

"It would be another gamble if I stayed with the pursuit team and bid for another Olympic appearance in Rio next year," said Wong.

"We stand a good chance to get a berth, but to be realistic we have no hope of winning a medal as there is still a big gap between us and our more powerful opponents. I have already been to the Olympics twice.

"If the points race had been reinstated as an individual event, I would have considered another medal challenge, no matter how tough the training would be. It's a pity it wasn't the case."

The points race was dropped from the Olympic programme after the Beijing Games when Wong finished 15th on her Olympic debut. It became one of the six disciplines in the omnium at the London Olympics and there was speculation it would be reinstated for Rio.

But the world governing body kept it in the omnium making it the most important event (awarding the most points) among the six disciplines.

Wong was only 15 when she joined the junior cycling squad at the Sports Institute, two years after she was selected to the rowing team.

"I was injured in rowing and they put me on a cycling machine for rehabilitation, which I found very interesting," she said. "Cycling was recruiting female riders and I thought my height was a bit short for rowing, so I decided to switch.

"I love the thrill of racing and the speed that goes with it. Rowing is a bit too slow for me and I prefer going fast. It's much more exciting and I enjoy training on a bike."

Wong turned full-time in 2002, dropping her studies in secondary school and, a year later, she became the first female rider from Hong Kong to win a medal at regional level finishing third in the individual time trial at the Asian Junior Championships.

The ride has taken her from a junior squad member to a World Cup champion in 2008, then a medallist at both the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, with two Olympic Games in between.

Wong said it took a lot of courage and hard work to raise her standard to the highest level.

"Many people say athletes enjoy a good life, getting free food and accommodation with the opportunity of travelling overseas and when we win medals at major games there are also cash awards, but they don't know what it takes to get there and the sacrifices we make," she said.

"We train 11 months of the year, most of the time in either Guangzhou or the high mountains in Kunming without seeing our families.

"We have to go through a demanding schedule from morning to night, no matter what the weather is like, riding up to 180km a day.

"If the weather is bad, we have to switch to an indoor cycling machine or physical training. We have to sacrifice and invest a lot before we can get results. Nothing is easy and every medal comes with a heavy price."

Wong said her bronze-medal finish at the Incheon Asian Games was a perfect ending to her 13-year career.

"After a disappointing run in the team pursuit in the track competition, it was a job well done taking a medal in the road race time trial, not only for myself but also for our women's squad. It was also a great achievement.

"I rode an exceptional race to finish third. I had always finished more than 10 minutes behind the Chinese rider, but I finished just 10 seconds behind her in Incheon.

"That was one of the most exciting moments in my career and I felt great relief after the race and thought I could retire immediately without any regrets."

Wong will now pursue a four-year course in sports management offered by the School of Professional and Continuing Education at Hong Kong University and said she still hoped to contribute to cycling after her studies.

"My interest is in event management and I want to organise more races in Hong Kong to further promote cycling in the community," she said.

"We have won many international honours in recent years, but our pool of elite cyclists is still very small compared to other cycling powers. This is a serious problem, especially in the women's team.

"I was the only senior in my early days and had to train with the male riders. We have to work harder to attract potential riders to strengthen our feeder system.

"Without new riders coming through the ranks, our hard work in recent years will be for nothing and Hong Kong cycling will find it difficult to continue being successful."