Members of the equestrian show jumping team. Patrick Lam, Samantha Lam, Jacqueline Lai and Kenneth Cheng (from Left). Photo: Handout
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https://scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3108462/patrick-lam-aiming-complete-half-finished-job-he-vies-hong-kongs Hong Kong
Patrick Lam aiming to complete ‘half-finished’ job as he vies for Hong Kong’s lone Tokyo showjumping spot
- The 2008 Olympian has achieved half of the minimum eligibility requirements (MERS) to make it to Tokyo but Hong Kong teammates have eight more months to catch him
- Kenneth Cheng, Jacqueline Lai, Raena Leung and Clarissa Lyra are also eager to qualify for Tokyo before the June deadline
Showjumper Patrick Lam of Hong Kong in action. Photo: HKEF
Rider Patrick Lam Lap-shun is “half way” towards reaching next year’s Olympics but the battle for Hong Kong’s sole individual showjumping for Tokyo is likely to be an open affair with his teammates also eyeing the coveted place.
The 2008 Beijing Olympian is the only Hong Kong rider so far who has achieved half of MERs (minimum eligibility requirements) when he made it in a Grand Prix 3-star event in Budapest this summer.
Lam and his horse, Claron Cr, a 10-year-old gelding, finished sixth with no penalties competing against 50-plus riders. But he needs to achieve a similar result in another 3-star event to obtain the full MERs as the rules require two zero penalties in a 3-star show. A 4-star event, however, requires only one result with a score of four penalties while a 5-star event allows a score of eight penalties.
Secretary general of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation Angela Kong Ka-fung said Lam holds an advantage but there was “still a long way to go” before Hong Kong can confirm their entry for Tokyo.
“All the riders have the chance to achieve the MERs before June 21 next year and we have a bunch of quality riders vying for the spot,” said Kong. “While Lam still needs to prove himself in another Grand Prix event, other Hong Kong team members also have eight months to [play] catch up. It’s still too early to say anything.”
Three other Hong Kong riders, Kenneth Cheng Man-kit, Raena Leung Hou-ling and Clarissa Lyra are currently in Vilamoura, Portugal for the 2020 Champions Tour where they are competing for the MERs. Another Hong Kong team member, Jacqueline Lai Ching-man, the 2013 China National Games individual jumping silver medallist, is staying in Hong Kong for personal reasons and will start Tokyo campaign early next year.
Lam, meanwhile, will also be competing in Spain next week in an attempt to get complete his “half-finished” job.
Jacqueline Lai and her mother Ng Ha-ping celebrate the silver medal at the 2013 China National Games. Photo: Handout
Hong Kong failed to qualify a show jumping team to the 2020 Summer Games. But thanks to Cheng, who finished second in the group G qualification rankings (Southeast Asia and Oceania) when it ended in 2019, Hong Kong can book an individual spot for Tokyo in showjumping depending on the rider’s MERS.
If, however, more than one Hong Kong rider achieved the benchmark, Kong said they would select the one with the best international results in accordance by a set of criteria laid down by the HKEF.
Thomas Ho on Tayberry. Photo: HKJC
“First we will have to examine the MERs and if there are more than one riders who made it before the deadline next year, we will look into their results to pick the best rider,” she said.
Hong Kong has also qualified an individual spot in another equestrian discipline - eventing through Thomas Heffernan Ho, who recently achieved the MERs for Tokyo with his horse Tayberry in Strzegom, Poland. With no other Hong Kong rider appearing to challenge Ho, the 31-year-old rider is almost certain to book his ticket to Tokyo next summer.