Hong Kong Athletics Trial 2022: high-jumper Priscilla Cheung Ching-laam battles heavy rain to win gold

High-jumper Priscilla Cheung Ching-laam battled through heavy rain to win gold with a leap of 1.75 metres on the second day of the Hong Kong Athletics Trial 2022.

And the 20-year-old hopes to celebrate her birthday next week by beating her personal best – provided there is better weather.

The Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground was drenched in rain on Sunday, as the first local athletics competition in seven months resumed.

With high-profile female high-jumpers Cecilia Yeung Man-wai – the Hong Kong record holder with 1.88 metres – and Tiffany Tang Yi-ching now training in Portugal, PolyU student Cheung stole the show with a successful final attempt.

The whole of the event’s second day was held in the rain, with the heaviest downpours coming during the women’s high-jump finals.

Cheung, who has a personal best of 1.76m, made a first-time clearance in 1.60m. She then cleared 1.65m on her second attempt before jumping 1.70m and 1.75m on her third attempt, at which point she already had the competition won.

Cheung then attempted 1.78 metres with the rain falling much harder, but failed three times.

“I was hoping to set a personal best today, but the weather and a half-hour delay in the competition forced me to settle for 1.75 metres,” said Cheung, who turns 21 on May 8, the same day as the women’s high-jump at the Hong Kong Athletics Series 2022 – Series 1 event at the same venue.

“I’m hoping for nice weather next week so I can aim to achieve at least 1.80 metres, hopefully on my birthday, and I am confident with it.”

Sunday’s competition featured five female high-jumpers, with Chung Wai-yan finishing second with 1.70m on her first attempt, but failing all three of her attempts at 1.75m, while Chow Kwan-wing came in third in 1.65m.

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Full-time athlete Cheung, whose most recent competition was the National Games last year, is aiming to secure a spot at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September.

With only two competitors from the same representative team permitted, Cheung said she would have to jump at least 1.78m at the next three meets in May.

Hurdles champions Rico Cheung Siu-hang and Sing Cho-yan are also in contention for the Asian Games. Cheung finished the men’s 110m hurdles in 14.51 seconds, and Sing clocked 14.68s in the women’s 100m hurdles.

This was a first senior competition for Cheung, who broke Hong Kong’s junior hurdles record in 13.53s at the World Athletics U20 Championships last August in Nairobi.

He said he hopes to push himself to go under 14 seconds again soon.

This weekend’s trial, as well as the three subsequent Athletics Series events, are the last chances for Hong Kong athletes to prove themselves before the Olympic Committee finalises the squad for the competition in Hangzhou.

Athletics officials have submitted a list of 31 athletes for the Games to the Hong Kong Olympic Committee.

Around 100 officials and 250 athletes took part in the trial. All athletes had to submit daily rapid antigen tests before their races, while complying with a series of other measures such as providing vaccine passes, using the “Leave Home Safe” app, and passing temperature checks.

“At the Series 1 next week, we’ll keep the straight final format, but [there will be] more events, including some under-18 and under-20 races,” said Ng Yu-ho, executive director of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates.

“The Series 2 and 3, with heats and finals, will have full schedules to prepare our competitors for the normal race [format] and the Hong Kong Championships in late June.”