Around the Island Race: records tumble to Hong Kong Olympians as they go faster than ever in 45km row
- Three records fall during coastal rowing event – the mixed double, women’s quad and solo women
- The 45km race takes rowers and paddlers through rough seas and high swells, but team spirit prevails
Hong Kong’s rowers battled rough seas and high swells to set a series of records at the Around the Island Race last weekend, relying heavily on team spirit in the process.
The mixed double, women’s quad, and solo woman all went faster than ever during the 45km slog that circumnavigated Hong Kong Island. Starting at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Causeway Bay, the eastern part of the island is considered the roughest, as large swells roll down from the coast of China.
This year’s event saw teams in outrigger canoes race on Saturday, with rowers going on Sunday. The women’s quad – crewed by Leung King-wan, Winne Hung Wing-yan, Leung Wing-wun, Wong Sheung-yee and coxed by Pinky Tse Yan-man – finished in three hours and 54 minutes, just two minutes faster than the previous record.
All the rowers are part of the Hong Kong team. Hung rowed for Hong Kong in the Tokyo Olympics. Tse is a full-time orthopaedic doctor, but is called upon for coxing when needed.
“We have a good team spirit. I think it’s rare that a crew and cox have so little practice together but still trust each other. Usually trust takes time.”