Swimmer Stephanie Au’s Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying hopes struck by Hong Kong airport chaos
- Au and her five teammates fly out on Tuesday night to Singapore World Cup after morning flight cancelled
- The backstroke ace is looking for another impressive result after Sunday’s Hong Kong Open in Fo Tan
Headed by Stephanie Au Hoi-shun and Chan Kin-lok, the six-member squad only managed to leave leave on Tuesday night for the third and final leg of Fina’s Asia series, but the flight was first cancelled on Monday night after the latest protests by demonstrators at Hong Kong International Airport. The local swimmers tried to board a flight on Tuesday evening but that flight was cancelled as well.
Later in the evening, the swimmers managed to book another flight and were let in by protesters after pleading to them that they were representing Hong Kong and it was very important for them to fly to Singapore in hopes of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. The swimmers managed to catch the flight from Terminal 2.
“We are now trying to get a flight to Singapore on Wednesday morning, but no one knows what’s going to happen at the airport at this moment,” said head coach Chen Jianhong on Tuesday morning. “The Singapore leg is one of the Olympic qualifiers, which is important for Au, one of our best swimmers, especially after her performance at the Hong Kong Open Championships over the weekend, where Chan also did very well.
“But the safety of our swimmers should come first. If we cannot leave tomorrow, we will have to reconsider our plan as the Singapore Open will begin on Thursday. We also have to plan for the return to Hong Kong after the race is over on Saturday and no one can predict what will happen in the next few days.” Unable to board a flight all day on Tuesday, the swimmers will try to catch a flight to Singapore on Wednesday, depending on whether they can get confirmation from Cathay Pacific.
