Tokyo 2020: Olympics postponement gives veteran cyclist Sarah Lee more time to prepare

The London 2012 bronze medallist will turn 34 in May 2021 but says the delay will allow her more time to prepare for Olympics

She also urges Hong Kong people to not let their guard down in the battle against the coronavirus – ‘we can work together to defend the city’

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Can Sarah Lee keep smiling – and winning – until 2021 when the Olympic Games take place? Photo: UCI

Published: 1:43pm, 25 Mar 2020Updated: 1:43pm, 25 Mar 2020

Sarah Lee Wai-sze played down the impact of pushing back the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to next year, although the star cyclist, one of Hong Kong’s few world-class athletes, will turn 34 in May 2021.

Now under self isolation in a hotel in Tseung Kwan O after returning from Switzerland earlier this month, Lee was relieved after the decision was made on Tuesday night when the International Olympic Committee agreed to postpone the Games to the summer of 2021 at the latest.

“I feel much easier as I can have more time to prepare for the Games,” she said. “Some of the events have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak and once the epidemic is under control, I think there should be more events to be held for the riders as part of their build-up to the Olympics.”

Lee, a responsible role model, is also concerned about the battle against the coronavirus in Hong Kong. “I am still worrying about the current epidemic development in the community and would ask the Hong Kong people to take the battle seriously so we can work together to defend the city.”

Sarah Lee (back) beats Emma Hinze of Germany in the sprint at the World Cup series in Glasgow last year.

Lee and her fellow Hong Kong team members were supposed to take part in the track cycling test event in Izu next month, but that event has also been cancelled. Track cycling will take place in the velodrome in Izu Peninsula, a two-hour drive from Tokyo to the southwest.

While Lee will be a year older come next summer, some young medal hopefuls will benefit from the year delay, including fencers Vivian Kong Man-wai and Ryan Choi Chun-yin, gymnast Shek Wai-hung and table tennis player Doo Hoi-kem.