Wong Kam-po's hopes of qualifying for the 40km points race at the Athens Olympics were shattered yesterday at the World Championships in Melbourne.
Wong, who was bidding to become the first Hong Kong cyclist to compete in the track events at an Olympics, failed to qualify for the points final after being lapped in the preliminary round in the morning. The 1998 Asian Games road race champion wasn't able to mix it with the best as he found the searing pace all too much, getting lapped by the field halfway through the race.
Unable to qualify for last night's final where a top-six placing would have been sufficient to earn a ticket in Athens, a disappointed Wong said he had done his best. 'I was a little tired going into the race, but the competition was a bit too hot for me. Although I didn't qualify for the points race, I still have the road race to look forward to in Athens,' said the Hong Kong rider.
Wong will still go to the Olympics having qualified for the individual road race in Athens by finishing 11th in the World 'B' Championships in Aigle, Switzerland, last year.
