Young Hong Kong windsurfer sails into the history books, winning international youth title
Hard work and dedication pay off for teenage competitor at world championships in Italy
Some work their entire lives to make it into sport’s history books, but one young Hong Kong windsurfer has done just that, at the tender age of 13.
On the waters of Lake Garda in Italy Mak Cheuk-wing joined the ranks of the city’s elite competitors, winning a title in an international youth-class race.
She beat favourites Mathilde Garandeau from France and Linoy Geva from Israel to take first place in the Techno 293 junior girls U-15 class. Garandeau and Geva came second and third respectively. It was Hong Kong’s first world title in the Techno class.
Seen as a path to the Youth Olympic Games, the Techno 293 class is an international windsurfing race for competitors under the age of 17.
A delighted Mak, who began windsurfing at the age of nine, remained humble and said she owed on Saturday to her success to her coaches, Cheng Hing-lun, who coaches her in Hong Kong, and Cheung Kwok-fai, who led the Hong Kong team to Italy.