Hong Kong triathlon prodigy shrugs off Asian Games passport misery with first senior win
Oscar Coggins secures first senior-level Asian competition win, boosting Tokyo Olympics chances and putting UK passport renunciation ordeal behind him
Two-time junior Asian triathlon champion Oscar Coggins is not eligible for this month’s Asian Games because of hold-ups in switching his British passport for a Hong Kong one, but recent competition results suggest the delays may be a blessing in disguise.
“It’s an amazing feeling to win a senior race especially when I’m still technically a junior athlete,” said Coggins, who completed his A-levels at Millfield School in England last month before returning to the city for a triathlon-centred gap year.
He had previously labelled his ascent to the top of the Hong Kong triathlon scene as “beyond comprehension but motivating”.
“I felt good going into the race but was definitely not expecting to win. Over the last few years my results have been getting better and better – from top 10 [finishes] to top fives – but this win came a bit sooner than what we were expecting,” he said.
“This is a really good result for my attempts to qualify for Tokyo 2020 as the points directly increase my ranking,” Coggins explained. “The higher rank allows me to race in world cups and World Triathlon Series races, which I can get more points [from]. A lot of points are up for grabs.”
The reigning Hong Kong national champion, with the guidance of coach Andrew Wright, had originally planned for the Asian Games in Jakarta beginning this month after meeting race-time requirements earlier this year.
The first two Hong Kong athletes to cross the line within the top eight were to represent the city at the Games, but British bureaucracy got in the way.
“Due to passport issues I’m unable to race,” said Coggins, who plans to study at Loughborough University next year. “The Hong Kong-Chinese naturalisation process – which is the hardest part of the process – has been completed, but I’m waiting on my UK renunciation which is taking longer than expected. It’s the last hurdle we’re waiting to overcome and it’s just a case of the UK Home Office now.”
“The main difference [between junior and senior level training] is doing a lot more standard-distance races – double the distance – and you definitely feel it,” he said. “In some junior races you occasionally arrive at a race with a relatively easy field, whereas in the senior races there will always be athletes who will push you hard. It’s about being mentally prepared to do as well as you physically can, keeping controlled and preventing injuries.
“There’s a lot less time pressure on us now but this year is going to be really important for qualifying for 2020. I’m devoting almost all my time to triathlon and racing,” said Coggins, who competes in another Asian Cup event in the Philippines next week.