Hong Kong triathletes Ng and Brown ‘more motivated than ever’ ahead of World Cup event in city
- Jason Ng and Bailee Brown will lead team’s charge for glory at Triathlon World Cup this month
- City team also has Olympic qualification in their sights, although Brown says Paris Games spot would ‘be a bonus’
Hong Kong’s Bailee Brown and Jason Ng Tai-long are “more motivated than ever” as they prepare to race in front of a home crowd at the World Triathlon Cup this month.
The Asian Games bronze medallists will lead their team’s charge along the city’s iconic waterfront, as they battle for vital Olympic qualification points, as well as a spot on the podium.
And the pair will be hoping the energy of a home crowd, which Ng said could not be explained by science, will help them improve on the second and third places they managed at the Asia Triathlon Cup in the city last November.
“I feel really motivated this season and if you enjoy what you do, it’s easy,” Brown said. “It’s nice to be at home and have the Hong Kong support – Hong Kong people are so amazing.”
For Brown and Ng, the event has an extra level of competition as their direct rivals for a spot at the Paris Olympics, Kazakhstan’s Ekaterina Shabalina and Ayan Beisenbayev, will both be racing on March 24.
“I think the way for me to get the best out of myself is to just focus on my own preparation,” Ng said. “It could be an athlete from anywhere in the world, I’m just focusing on putting my best foot forward. I think that will get me the biggest chance of qualification.”
Brown echoed Ng’s statements while also playing down the importance of the Hong Kong event, the second of the World Cup season, in terms of the pair’s Olympic dreams.
“A race that will have a bit more weight is the Asian Championships in Japan and the Asian Sprint Championships, because the Olympic distance races have more points, so they are going to be super important for both of us,” she said.
Brown also acknowledged that the 2028 Olympics was the ultimate target, and qualifying for the Paris Games this summer would be “a bonus”.
Andrew Wright, the Hong Kong head coach, said the race, which has been government support, was a “massive step up” for his triathletes, but it would “open up so many different avenues and improve the sport”.
Hong Kong also hosted the Asian Cup in November and Wright said they gained valuable experience from that race, not least in the design of the course.
Competitors will start with a 750m open water swim next to the Exhibition Centre. They will then jump on their bikes for a 20km ride (five laps) that runs from Golden Bauhinia Square to the Hong Kong Observation Wheel and back.
The final leg is a 5km run. Triathletes must do two laps starting at the Golden Bauhinia Square transition point before looping back once they reach Tamar Park.
“It went pretty well [and] we learned from the previous races,” he said. “They’ve extended the bike course out to go around [Golden Bauhinia Square], it’s a good improvement, not only for the aesthetics but actually for the athletes too.
“I think this is just such a great starting point. It’s something that we can build on year after year and can become a really huge event in the future.”
