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Cecilia Yeung Man-wai
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Cecilia Yeung Man-wai in action at the 2018 Hong Kong Athletics Championships at Wan Chai Sports Ground. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong high jump star Cecilia Yeung will stop modelling to give Asian Games medal bid a boost

Record holder not happy with victory at first race of the season but vows to make improvements for elite regional event

High jump sensation Cecilia Yeung Man-wai will stop all her commercial activities as her final run-in to the Asian Games in Indonesia begins.

After her victory at the Hong Kong Athletics Championships over the weekend, only her first meet of the season because of a thigh injury, a determined Yeung vowed to get focused for the biggest regional multi-sport games which kick off in August.

“I will stop all the commercial commitments from next month so as to prepare the final build-up for the Games,” said the 23-year-old, who blamed herself for only managing to clear 1.76 metres for a disappointing victory at Wan Chai Sports Ground.

 

“This is going to be my first Asian Games and will be the biggest event of the year. It will be a tough competition against the best high jumpers from all over the region and I need to be in my best form.”

A leading athlete, Yeung also works as a part-time model for many global brands and is popular among the younger generation.

But she always insists her sporting career comes first as it matters more.

 

Athletics, a tier A programme at the Sports Institute, must win at least one Asian Games medal to retain their status at next year’s biannual review, otherwise they will need to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics or risk being removed from the programme.

The Hong Kong Amateur Athletics Association has yet to announce the squad to Jakarta with more than four months left, but Yeung’s 1.88 metre Hong Kong record set in Taiwan 12 months ago should be good enough to earn her a place in the team.

 

There is no official qualifying for the Asian Games but an athlete must have achieved a result equivalent to the top eight position at the last games if they want to be selected. Yeung’s record would have earned her fourth place at the Incheon Games four years ago.

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