Patrick Lam aiming to complete ‘half-finished’ job as he vies for Hong Kong’s lone Tokyo showjumping spot
- The 2008 Olympian has achieved half of the minimum eligibility requirements (MERS) to make it to Tokyo but Hong Kong teammates have eight more months to catch him
- Kenneth Cheng, Jacqueline Lai, Raena Leung and Clarissa Lyra are also eager to qualify for Tokyo before the June deadline
Rider Patrick Lam Lap-shun is “half way” towards reaching next year’s Olympics but the battle for Hong Kong’s sole individual showjumping for Tokyo is likely to be an open affair with his teammates also eyeing the coveted place.
The 2008 Beijing Olympian is the only Hong Kong rider so far who has achieved half of MERs (minimum eligibility requirements) when he made it in a Grand Prix 3-star event in Budapest this summer.
Lam and his horse, Claron Cr, a 10-year-old gelding, finished sixth with no penalties competing against 50-plus riders. But he needs to achieve a similar result in another 3-star event to obtain the full MERs as the rules require two zero penalties in a 3-star show. A 4-star event, however, requires only one result with a score of four penalties while a 5-star event allows a score of eight penalties.
Secretary general of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation Angela Kong Ka-fung said Lam holds an advantage but there was “still a long way to go” before Hong Kong can confirm their entry for Tokyo.
“All the riders have the chance to achieve the MERs before June 21 next year and we have a bunch of quality riders vying for the spot,” said Kong. “While Lam still needs to prove himself in another Grand Prix event, other Hong Kong team members also have eight months to [play] catch up. It’s still too early to say anything.”