Kwok doubles medal count with bronze in Cali pool

SWIMMER Mark Kwok Kin-ming has collected Hong Kong's second medal at the Pacific Ocean Games in Cali, Colombia, with a third-placed finish in the men's 200 metres freestyle event.

California-based Kwok captured the bronze with a time of 1:57.71, finishing only 0.44 of a second behind Chinese gold medallist Zhao Lifeng. Jose Martinez of Colombia took the silver.

It was the territory's second medal at the inaugural Games after only three days of competition, after woman judoka Wu Ching-hui won gold in the under-61 kilograms division on Sunday.

Hong Kong team deputy chef de mission Vivien Fung is expecting more medals before the Games close this Sunday.

'It is difficult to assess our chances because we know so little about the opposition, but I wouldn't be surprised if we can pick up more medals,' said Fung yesterday in Cali.

'Morale in our camp has been boosted by the medal success on the past two days and we are hoping for another medal or two in swimming and men's judo.' Kwok and woman swimmer Robyn Lamsam will both be seeing action again while men's under-60 kilograms judoka Wat Tze-wan will be competing in Popayan, a township outside the main Games city of Cali.

Freestyle specialist Lamsam, a double medallist at the Asian Games in Hiroshima last October, is quietly fancied in the sprints and Kwok could again snatch a medal in the 200 metres butterfly event.

Hong Kong is represented by only seven athletes in Cali - two each in judo, swimming and cycling while woman hurdler Chan Sau-ying is the territory's lone flag carrier on the running track.