Hong Kong high jumper Cecilia Yeung back in action for first time in 20 months after serious Achilles tendon injury

High jumper Cecilia Yeung Man-wai will be competing for the first time in 20 months this weekend after recovering from a career-threatening Achilles tendon injury as the Hong Kong record holder prepares for international events.

The 26-year-old has confirmed she is one of the 200-plus starters in this weekend’s preseason trial which takes place at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, and is also the first track and field event since the outbreak of the fourth wave of the pandemic in November.

“I feel so excited as this will be my first competition after a long absence due to the injury,” said Yeung, who is also a highly sought-after fashion model. “But I won’t be pushing too hard in the event and will jump with a short approach in accordance with my training progress. However, I’m definitely preparing to get back to the long approach later on as my form improves after more competitions.”

With 2020 Olympics qualification due to complete in June, it isn’t possible for Yeung to make the Tokyo Games this summer, but the 14th China National Games, due to kick off in Shaanxi province in September, will be her target with the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, also in China, another major event in her sights.

Yeung tore her right Achilles tendon during practice at the Sports Institute in 2019 and needed surgery before she could get back to training last year. However, her return to competition was also interrupted by the pandemic. There has been only one track and field event in Hong Kong, held in November, since the Covid-19 outbreak in early 2019.

HK Athletics Championships postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions

She set a Hong Kong record 1.88 metres when she won an Asia Grand Prix in Taiwan in 2017 but said earlier she had no idea when she could regain the kind of form that helped her set the record.

The Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, meanwhile, has given up hope of staging the 2020 Hong Kong Championships, which has been pushed back several times due to Covid-19. They will instead continue with the plan to put on the 2021 championships in May, providing Hong Kong athletes the opportunity for Olympic qualification points.

The annual flagship event is considered a category B event under the World Athletics rules, which can offer an additional 100 ranking points to the winner. This can help improve athletes’ world ranking as local athletes, such as hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu, long jumpers Chan Ming-tai and Yue Ya-xin, aim to earn qualification for the Tokyo Games.