World Triathlon Cup: Hong Kong pair Ng and Brown still in Olympics race despite struggling in home event
- Jason Ng and Bailee Brown still trailing Kazakhstan rivals in race for spot at Paris Olympics, but can close the gap next month
- Brown says her swim start needs to improve, while Ng left ruing puncture that ended his challenge in front of family and friends
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Olympic hopefuls Jason Ng Tai-long and Bailee Brown still have all to play for in two regional championships next month, despite struggling in their respective races at Sunday’s World Triathlon Cup.
Brown “lost her chance” to be in the front swim group and ultimately finished 40th in the elite women’s race, while Ng had a day to forget after suffering a flat tyre midway through the 20km bike section of the men’s event.
Even though she finished third at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Hong Kong last November, Brown said she was not used to the higher level of World Cup racing.
“Athletes at this upper field are really good and strong,” the 24-year-old said. “I just hope that in the next few races, I can nail my swim start speed and then be able to be more competitive.”
But Brown, who finished in one hour, two minutes and 41 seconds, has no doubts over her ability to keep up with the best, and knows exactly where improvement needs to be made.
“It’s just perfecting my swim and being a bit stronger in the water and not getting caught up in the fight,” said Brown, who was part of the Hong Kong team that won consecutive bronzes at the past two Asian Games.
“I wasn’t as quick and fiery as I wanted to be in my legs. To have a good run speed off the bike takes a lot of practice with your strength in your legs.”
Ng was left cursing his luck after suffering two flat tyres in his past two races.
The Hongkonger was only 40 seconds behind the leaders going into the first transition, but a puncture on the third of five laps ended any hopes of a strong finish.
Ng, who also had a flat tyre at the Asia Cup in Xiamen last November, said he hadn’t done anything wrong, and could not understand why the tyre had failed.
“It’s been the same tyre for the last week and a half and there’s nothing wrong with it,” he said.
But there was never any question of Ng stopping, and the 24-year-old said racing in front of family and friends meant he “had to finish”. Even with a puncture, Ng wasn’t last, coming 55 of the 58 competitors to finish the elite men’s event in a time of 1:00:08.
“I don’t know if it’s stubbornness or motivation but I just don’t like having a DNF [did not finish] on my sheet so if I come last or wherever I came, I am just going to finish.”
Ng and Brown’s nearest rivals for a spot at the Olympics this summer, Kazakhstan pair Ayan Beisenbayev and Ekaterina Shabalina, did not put any further distance between themselves and the Hong Kong duo.
Beisenbayev also finished outside the points in the men’s race, at 44th, leaving him roughly 50 points ahead of Ng in the rankings. Shabalina finished 21st.
Brown has two chances to reduce the 400-point gap with her Kazak rival, at the Asian Sprint Championships in Dexing, mainland China, on April 6, and the Asian Triathlon Championships, in Hatsukaichi, Japan, on April 21.
Separately, Robin Elg emerged from a field of elite athletes to become the city’s top performer after finishing 23rd in the men’s event.
The 22-year-old ranked sixth after the swim and the bike session but an existing shin injury cost him a better finish in his World Cup debut.
“I got a very good swim and gave it everything [on the bike] so, the race went above expectations for me to finish first among the team,” he said.
Fellow Hongkonger Yu Shing-him finished 29th while Nicholas Tsang Cheung-shing crossed the finish line in 38th.
