Tokyo 2020: agony for Hong Kong’s cyclists as their Olympic spot is snatched away

Hong Kong’s men’s madison team went from ecstasy to agony after they were cruelly denied a spot at the 2020 Olympic Games on Monday, although the city will still send one of its largest cycling squads to Tokyo this summer.

Medal hopeful Sarah Lee Wai-sze qualified for both the women’s sprint and keirin, allowing additional spots for Jessica Lee Hoi-yan in the same events while Pang Yao and Leung Bo-yee qualified for the women’s madison and one of the two can also take part in the women’s omnium.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) released the track cycling Olympic quotas on Monday and the men’s madison team, which occupied the final qualification position when the ranking list was provisionally revealed after last week’s World Championships in Berlin, was replaced by Ireland.

“Our finishing position at the Worlds was changed by the UCI from 16th to 17th and as a result we lost the Olympic spot to Ireland by a very small margin of points,” said Cycling Association executive director Alex Wong Chi-yu, after it was confirmed that the Hong Kong team retired from the race before the US team. Both teams withdrew around the half-way point and there was initial confusion surrounding who dropped out first.

“We were informed the change over the weekend and after some back and forth discussion among the parties involved, we have no other option but to accept it.

“Of course, it’s a huge disappointment to the boys, especially after we won the same event at the 2018 Asian Games. We have targeted the men’s madison from the beginning of the qualification campaign but missed out in the end.”

Tears of joy as Hong Kong madison teams qualify for Olympic Games

Hong Kong collected 6,460 points from 10 qualifying rounds when the UCI announced the rankings last week while Ireland trailed with 6,430 points. However Ireland moved ahead in the updated list as Hong Kong’s total rally was reduced to 6,400 points after a change of position.

Both Hong Kong and the United States were unable to finish the race in Berlin after retiring midway through the 50km race. The UCI first put Hong Kong ahead of the US in the finishing position but reverted the placings after studying video footage of the race.

The two madison riders, Leung Chun-wing and Cheung King-lok, both represented Hong Kong at the 2016 Rio Games, with Leung in the omnium and Cheung in the individual road race.

The men’s madison is making a return to the Olympic programme after its last appearance in Beijing in 2008 while the women’s is making its debut in Tokyo.

Hong Kong eyes more Olympic tickets at track cycling Worlds in Berlin

“The women’s team has to be praised for their effort as they did not start the campaign well,” Wong said. “But they kept working hard in the second part of the qualification and made some outstanding achievements including winning the Asian Championships in October and a fourth-place finish in the World Cup series in Brisbane in December. Tribute to them.”

Leung, who returned to Hong Kong for a short break after the worlds, said earlier they had themselves to blame for not finishing the race in Berlin if that cost them a place at the Tokyo Games.

The Hong Kong team will travel for a training camp in Las Vegas amid the coronavirus outbreak in the city and will travel for Tokyo’s Olympic Test Event in April if conditions allow, according to Wong.