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Hong Kong’s Oscar Coggins (right) will no longer participate in the triathlon mixed relay. Photo: Yik Yeung-man
SportHong Kong

Asian Games 2023: Hong Kong triathlon mixed relay team to race without Olympian Oscar Coggins as coach backs ‘fresh legs’

  • ‘Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have brought him here at all,’ head coach Andrew Wright says as he plans heart-to-heart with Coggins after Games
  • City’s push for a medal spearheaded by Wong Tsz-to and Bailee Brown along with Charlotte Hall and Jason Ng
Asian Games 2023
Mike Chan
Mike Chanin Hangzhou
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Olympian Oscar Coggins will not be part of the Hong Kong team that chases back-to-back bronze medals in the mixed relay on Monday, and head coach Andrew Wright admitted bringing him to Hangzhou may have been a mistake.

Coggins, who had been battling personal issues according to head coach Andrew Wright, withdrew from the men’s individual race on Friday after the swim.

In the absence of the former Asian champion, Wong Tsz-to and Charlotte Hall will race alongside Jason Ng Tai-long and Bailee Brown.

Wright said the need for “fresh legs” was why Hall and Wong skipped the individual races, in which Ng and Brown finished fifth and sixth, respectively.

Hong Kong were already down one squad member, after Hilda Choi Yan-yin almost lost a finger in a training accident the day before the team left for Hangzhou.
Bailee Brown (centre) and Wong Tsz-to won a team bronze in 2018 in Jakarta. Photo: Dickson Lee

Still, Wright believes the squad at his disposal has what it takes to fight for a podium spot.

“We are ranked third for the relay, and based off the individual races, we have a strong team with two fresh athletes in Hall and Wong,” he said.

“We got silver in the Asian Championships last year. Our athletes have to focus on putting together their skills and processes well as that is all that’s in our control.”

Brown and Wong know what it takes to win a medal at the Asian Games, having been part of the team that finished third in Jakarta in 2018, and Wright said it was “great” to have the latter’s experience, confidence and ability over shorter distances.

The mixed relay sees each competitor complete a 300m swim, 6.67km bike and 1.86km run leg.

Wright said Coggins had been suffering from yet another case of food poisoning when the team met the media at the Hong Kong Sports Institute last month.

Head coach Wright said Coggins (second left) had the ability to still qualify for the Olympics. Photo: Yik Yeung-man
The triathlete was previously struck down by a similar ailment at the Asian Champions last year, and at the time Wright said Coggins was so ill he was “unable to leave his room, even to warm up”.

According to the head coach, the 23-year-old was struggling again at the team’s final training camp in Thailand ahead of the Games, and “wasn’t there at all, physically and mentally”.

“I had to send him home and ask him to train in Hong Kong,” Wright said.

But the head coach revealed Coggins had basically “stopped training” at that point, and he asked if the Olympian still wanted to go to the Games because the team could not change with just 10 days to go.

“Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have brought him here at all,” Wright said. “I thought he may still be able to perform in the individual event and help Ng, but he couldn’t finish the race.”

Wright said the pair would have a heart-to-heart when they returned to Hong Kong, but believed Coggins could still qualify for the Paris Olympics next year, if he wanted to.

“He is still a top athlete physically if he can sort out his problem … but at this point, Ng is our best chance for Hong Kong,” Wright said.

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