Thailand Open Track & Field Championships: triple jump gold for Shannon Chan keeps Hong Kong flag flying

Chan equals the Hong Kong record to bring the city its fourth gold of the week, with all having come in jump events

Rico Cheung and Shing Cho-yan win bronzes in the sprint hurdles, taking Hong Kong up to 12 medals

Reading Time:2 minutes

Shannon Chan (left) poses for a photo with her coach Tse Mang-chi at the Thailand Open Track and Field Championships. Photo: HKAAA

Published: 4:24pm, 1 Dec 2022

Hong Kong jumpers have continued to excel at the Thailand Open Track & Field Championships, with Shannon Chan equalling her city record to win the triple jump.

The meet had begun with Hong Kong athletes taking gold in the men’s and women’s long jump and the women’s high jump, and there was more of the same on Wednesday as Chan leapt 12.87 metres on her fifth jump to claim her first overseas senior title.

Chan, who had abandoned the long jump the previous day to focus on her favourite event, made a solid start with 12.56m. Following jumps of 12.72m and 12.63m, the 24-year-old posted a fourth leap of 12.74m to threaten her city record, set at the Hong Kong Athletics Series 3 in May.

That mark was duly equalled by her fifth jump before she finished with 12.67m.

Shannon Chan tops the podium in the women’s triple jump in Bangkok. Photo: HKAAA

“It means a lot to me – it shows that I can continue with my passion for triple jump,” Chan, a PE teacher, said. “I’ve just started working as a full-time teacher and am still figuring out how to balance work and training.

“Jumping 13 metres is my next goal, and I hope to jump further to catch up with the best in Asia.”