Tokyo 2020: agony for Hong Kong’s cyclists as their Olympic spot is snatched away
- Ireland replaces Hong Kong in the men’s madison event after UCI revises results from the World Championships in Berlin
- Hong Kong to send four track riders, including medal hopeful Sarah Lee, to Tokyo after final quotas confirmed
Hong Kong’s men’s madison team went from ecstasy to agony after they were cruelly denied a spot at the 2020 Olympic Games on Monday, although the city will still send one of its largest cycling squads to Tokyo this summer.
Medal hopeful Sarah Lee Wai-sze qualified for both the women’s sprint and keirin, allowing additional spots for Jessica Lee Hoi-yan in the same events while Pang Yao and Leung Bo-yee qualified for the women’s madison and one of the two can also take part in the women’s omnium.
The International Cycling Union (UCI) released the track cycling Olympic quotas on Monday and the men’s madison team, which occupied the final qualification position when the ranking list was provisionally revealed after last week’s World Championships in Berlin, was replaced by Ireland.
“Our finishing position at the Worlds was changed by the UCI from 16th to 17th and as a result we lost the Olympic spot to Ireland by a very small margin of points,” said Cycling Association executive director Alex Wong Chi-yu, after it was confirmed that the Hong Kong team retired from the race before the US team. Both teams withdrew around the half-way point and there was initial confusion surrounding who dropped out first.
“We were informed the change over the weekend and after some back and forth discussion among the parties involved, we have no other option but to accept it.
“Of course, it’s a huge disappointment to the boys, especially after we won the same event at the 2018 Asian Games. We have targeted the men’s madison from the beginning of the qualification campaign but missed out in the end.”