bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

HONG Kong sports enjoyed one of its brightest moment on the international arena with athletes winning silverware in three different sports - windsurfing, cycling and fencing.

   Board-sailor Lee Lai-shan became the territory's first-ever world champion in an Olympic sport when she came from behind to capture the women's title at the World Championships in Japan.

   The week-long regatta at Kashiwazaki was a big frustration for the first five days when the competitors could not even complete two round-robin series because of the windless conditions.

   It was threatened with abandonment when the second round-robin remained uncompleted after the fifth day but was saved when the race jury changed the rule and allowed the series to finish on day six.

   Lee, fifth after the opening three-race series, came second in the next set of round-robin races and moved up to third position overall - behind Frenchwoman Elena Draoulec and American Lanee Butler - going into the last day for which three finals were scheduled.

   The competitors, however, were left stranded on the beach for most of the morning before the wind picked up and allowed the racing to start.

   Overall leader Draoulec dropped out of medal contention with a poor 19th place in the first final that was won by Butler. Lee finished second ahead of France's former world champion Maud Herbert.

   Butler moved to the top of the tables with Lee hot on her heels and making it a two-way battle for the world title as the rest of the field trailed far behind.

   But disaster struck the American as she struggled to 11th place in the second final while Lee recorded another second-place finish, behind Herbert.

   The result saw Lee taking over pole position on the leadership board with 11 penalty points, and she was awarded the title when the third final was called off due to poor light.

   Butler and Herbert collected 18 penalty points but the American took the silver by virtue of having scored one more win in the preliminary round-robin series.

   ''This is my happiest moment, the feeling is even greater than when I took the silver medal at the Beijing Asian Games,'' said an ecstatic Lee, a 23-year-old Cheung Chau islander.

   ''It was very lucky that the winds eventually came, and the conditions of 10 to 12 knots were exactly what I was hoping for.''    But Hong Kong national windsurfing coach Rene Appel dispelled Lee's remark that luck brought her the title, and attributed her success to her ability to handle all types of conditions.

   Appel said: ''Many of the top girls were struggling in the very light winds, but San San was always hanging in there, finishing fifth and second when the winds were hardly blowing.

   ''She also came second in the two finals when there were stronger winds. It was her consistency which made the difference.''    Lee said: ''Winning the world title is a personal victory for me. Now I can proudly say I've beaten every top woman sailor in the world.''    Hong Kong also won a gold medal in cycling - in the Lanzhou hill-climb series in Gansu province, an event which attracted the cream of mainland riders who took part in the recent All-China National Games.

   Seasoned Hong Kong international Hui Chak-bor showed his mettle by winning the 40-kilometre elimination race, beating the provincial representatives from Beijing, Gansu, Guangdong, Qinghai and Xinjiang.

  Hui was also in a position to do well in the 38-kilometre race on the second day before a puncture forced him to retire. Teammate Sin Wing-hang kept the territory's colours flying by taking fourth place.

   Last but not least, Hong Kong women fencers did exceedingly well to win their first Asian Championship medal when they took second place in the team epee event in Tokyo, Japan.

   Alice Yeung, Angela Chan and Ho Ka-lai pulled off a major upset in crushing Japan 8-4 in the semi-final before their glory march was stopped by the South Korean team.

   Coach Wong Tsan said: ''China did not send a women's epee team but nevertheless our girls did remarkably well to finish ahead of Japan and Taiwan.'' 



World title to HK's sailor Lee