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James Porteous

“It was just one of those things.”
A slight nudge. Nothing malicious. Just one of those things.
But at some 60km/h, that slight touch, from Australian Anna Meares, was enough to send the handlebars on Sarah Lee Wai-sze’s bicycle flying, spinning her front wheel perpendicular to the direction of travel and sending Lee bouncing off the Siberian pine of the Olympic Velodrome track.
As the other five riders in the semi-final zoomed around the bend, a stunned Lee tried to drag herself to safety, aware that the bronze medal she won in this event four years ago in London would not be matched or bettered.
WATCH: relive the action involving Hong Kong athletes on Day 8 at the Rio Olympics


Hong Kong’s best medal hope at the Rio Olympics knew she still had another chance of glory – and revenge against Meares – in the sprint, but this was her preferred event. At 29, she knows contending at one more Games is unlikely.
“That hurt,” said a depressed Lee, and you felt she was not just talking about the damage to her body, plenty of which she’s taken before. “But it’s fine, I just had some scratches.
“She hit me on my elbow with her hip and that’s how I crashed.”
Lee had just won the 7th to 12th place race for those who didn’t make it to the final, a sadistic exercise for all involved. She cruised through – if you can call an average speed of 63.12km/h cruising – as if to underline that she didn’t belong with the other five losers. Rather than the medal, her prize was one of the ‘Olympic diplomas’, a certificate given to top-8 finishers at the Games.
WATCH: golden moments on Day 8 at the Rio Olympics

Coach Shen Jinkang said she was in the form of her life coming to Rio after a brutal high-intensity training camp in Kunming, and imposed a media blackout to eliminate distractions for the one member of Team HK to whom everyone in the city’s travelling press pack wants to speak.
She stormed through her heat and looked well in control of the semi-final until five-time Olympic medallist Meares made contact. Oh, it’s now six-time Olympic medallist Meares – she went on to win bronze.
Race officials took their time examining the incident before deciding the 32-year-old was in the clear.
A senior member of one of cycling’s leading governing bodies – with no axe to grind one way or the other – was one of many people among the 5,000-odd present very surprised by that.
Not that a disqualification for Meares would have made any difference to Lee.
Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri wins Rio 1,500m final, pouring cold water on supposed Sun-Horton showdown
“I watched the video, and she actually was not in the red line,” said Lee, referring to the sprinter’s lane in which other riders are not allowed to enter unless they have a clear lead on its occupant.
“It’s a tough call. But if the referees said she didn’t violate the rules, then she didn’t.
“It wouldn’t make a difference even if I appealed. I have crashed and I wouldn’t make it [to the final].”
Had she made it, she’d likely have another Olympic medal; after all, those on the podium, Ellis Ligtlee of the Netherlands, Becky James of Great Britain and Meares, were Nos 16, 20 and 6 in the world rankings compared to Lee’s No 2.
WATCH: Hong Kong’s star cyclist Sarah Lee is set to shine at the Olympics again


Meares, bronze around her neck, insisted she had nothing to apologise for, though she hadn’t spoken to Lee.
“Becky James came around the outside of me and at the same time there was a little movement from Wai-sze and it’s hard,” she said.
“When I came off the track I asked the question, ‘Was I in the wrong there?’ Because I felt her handlebar hit my leg and unfortunately when that happens the handlebars just go out from underneath you.
“If I was in the wrong I would wear that, absolutely, but it was deemed a racing incident and that’s all that I know.
“I haven’t seen Sarah yet, those sort of circumstances are hard for anyone to digest. I have great love and respect for Wai-sze Lee and you don’t want to see anyone go down like that.”
Just one of those things.
Silver medallist James was just happy to benefit. ”I was over the top and didn’t even look back,” she said.
“She’s a lovely girl and a great rider, I feel sorry for her. It’s always frustrating when you crash, but it’s just one of those things.”
Hong Kong team manager Johnny Chan Chung-yu had a copy of the same hymn sheet.
Disaster for Hong Kong’s medal hopes at Olympics as Sarah Lee Wai-sze crashes out of keirin semi-finals after controversial clash
“The crash was just an accident, just one of those things. We can’t blame the Australian rider [Meares].”
For her part, Lee neither asked for nor accepted any sympathy.
“I have already calmed down. Don’t worry about me. I am okay. I just need to clean the wounds and get to sleep early.”
After all, it was just one of those things.




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Rio 2016 Olympic Games

'Just one of those things' – how the slightest of nudges ended Sarah Lee Wai-sze's Olympic medal hopes in her favourite event

Hong Kong’s Sarah Lee Wai-sze tumbles out of the keirin and sees her middle chances disintegrate. Photo: EPA

epa05481871 Sze Wai of Hong Kong is seen crashing out in the backbend during the Women's Keirin Second Round of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Track Cycling events at the Rio Olympic Velodrome in the Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 13 August 2016. EPA/DEAN LEWIS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Hong Kong's Lee Wai Sze (2nd R) leads the women's Keirin second round track cycling event at the Velodrome during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 13, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Eric FEFERBERG

Disaster for Hong Kong’s medal hopes at Olympics as Sarah Lee Wai-sze crashes out of keirin semi-finals after controversial clash

Hong Kong's Sarah Lee Wai-sze crashes in the women's keirin semi-final race in Rio on Saturday. Photos: Reuters

Sarah Lee Wai-sze of Hong Kong lies motionless on the track following her crash.

Forget Sarah Lee hype – Chinese sprinters are faster than ever, says mainland track coach Benoit Vetu

China’s track cycling coach Benoit Vetu believes his charges Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi are in the form of their lives and pose a serious threat to the hopes of Hong Kong’s Sarah Lee Wai-sze. Photo: AP

Members of the Chinese men's track watch as a members of the Chinese women's track cycling team round during a training session inside the Rio Olympic Velodrome during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

China's Tianshi Zhong rounds during a track cycling training session inside the Rio Olympic Velodrome in advance of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

China's Zhong Tianshi (left) competes with Hong Kong's Sarah Lee Wai-sze (right) during the women's sprint track cycling event at the Incheon International Velodrome, the 17th Asian Games, Incheon. 25SEP14

Golden girl Sarah Lee told to forget past success in Olympic build-up

Sarah Lee won two individual gold medals at the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, but the hard work starts again on the road to the Rio Olympics in 2016. Photos: Nora Tam

Sarah Lee has put Hong Kong in the frame with her heroics at the London Olympics, at the Asian Games and on the World Cup circuit. 

Sport

Hong Kong

A sanguine Sarah Lee preferred to focus on a shot at redemption in the sprint


'Just one of those things' – how the slightest of nudges ended Sarah Lee Wai-sze's Olympic medal hopes in her favourite event

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}A sanguine Sarah Lee preferred to focus on a shot at redemption in the sprint

WATCH: relive the action involving Hong Kong athletes on Day 8 at the Rio Olympics

A sanguine Sarah Lee preferred to focus on a shot at redemption in the sprint