“We’ve been to Enoshima before and there was one year where there was a typhoon before a competition. It was really difficult on the first day so we need to be ready for all scenarios,” said Chan, who miraculously competed at the London 2012 Games despite a training accident forcing her to spend five weeks in hospital weeks ahead of the event. She finished 12th.

“I’m very honoured to be able to compete at an Olympics again. To go from what could have been one-time Olympian Hayley Chan with a full stop, to Hayley Chan who failed, readjusted and is going to her second Olympics. I know I have a lot to work on and will put all my energy into this last month,” said an emotional Chan.

“There will be a lot of pressure but I actually don’t think I need it. I spoke to some [Olympian] national cyclists and they said, ’if you’re already an athlete during these times, there’s nothing more you need to prove to anyone any more’. I was so moved by that because it really is the case.”

Chan said training with her male counterparts has improved her reaction time and confidence, enough to aim for at least a top-eight finish. It may well be the 30-year-old’s Olympic swansong as she cited rule changes by the next Games and intentions to “give back to the next generation” in a coaching capacity.

“There are some uncertainties but we treated it as having an extra year to prepare physically and psychologically. My hands and feet were shaking the first time out, but taking that experience and the many more since, I know how to prepare and how much time I need for big events,” the 27-year-old said.“We have been doing a lot of practice races with coaches and different teammates to give us different looks and styles to work with. I hope it will show in such a high-level, nerve-racking event.

“I’m fortunate enough to have competed in Japan at various events these last four to five years, so I’m confident in familiarising with the route, conditions and scenarios. Enoshima’s conditions are pretty similar to Hong Kong’s summer – it gets to 30 degrees Celsius and above – and it’s a bit more windy. But we’re more familiar with these than the European competitors.”Cheng said the team tackled the Games’ initial postponement in a positive manner despite having to take much-needed time to relax and reset their path to peaking at the event.

“The last time I competed [in Japan] was at a World Cup in 2019. Every time we were over we’d write notes about the conditions and competition, and any areas we could take advantage of. So we’ve been doing our homework and I hope to memorise them well for the competition,” he said, citing European competitors as consistent top-eight finishers.

“My results last time were already beyond my expectations, so I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily going to try and better that. I just hope to go race-by-race in the best way I can and hopefully compete for a medal.

The quartet will fly to Japan on July 17 – the earliest date offered by organisers – and will immediately be driven to a living facility closer to the competition site for pre-race quarantine.“Time time it’s about getting used to the routine. We’ve been living in the [Hong Kong Sports Institute] a lot to replicate that – how to be and keep yourself entertained in a room by yourself. It’s about a 20-minute drive [to the sea] compared to the two hours from the Olympics Village,” Cheng said.

“We’ve been through a lot and I’m sure the athletes are desperate to get back. Not competing in around 18 months did mean we had a lot more time to work on things to improve. I hope they can use the belief from their first Olympics and overcome the Covid-19 situation of the second,” he said.“Their numbers from the various tests show they’re at their best. Though this is the first time we’re going to an Olympics without previous competition experience, I think they can keep that passion and mentality and do even better than before.

“The athletes have knowledge of the location so it’ll give them more confidence. The research data is really accurate. They found the venue blueprints and collated the different wind speeds and how that will affect our movement. They can also predict some patterns, so it’s really good insight into the event. Other teams may have access to data but it likely be a bit more simple.

“The most important thing is that they go into the competition in a good state of mind. It’s a really advantageous position to be in but it’s still an important test for us all. The only thing we don’t want is a typhoon. Otherwise nobody can get to the water to train or even compete.”

The windsurfing Olympic events start from July 20 to 25. It will be the last Olympic RS:X event as organisers confirmed that the Paris 2024 Games will introduce the iQFoil windfoil system thereafter.