Paris Olympics: Hong Kong judoka Wong Ka-lee aims for quarter-finals but admits to nerves
- The 26-year-old, the city’s first judoka at the Olympics since 2012, said she also needed to improve her stamina and focus
Hong Kong judoka Wong Ka-lee has set her sights on reaching the quarter-finals at her first Olympic Games in Paris next month, but admitted she had to learn how to control her nerves on the big stage.
“I get very nervous whenever I compete,” said Wong, who will take part in the women’s under-48kg category at Grand Palais Éphémère. “There are things that I can do in daily practice that I just cannot during competition.
“I also tend to lose focus easily, and my opponents then score points off me or even win the match.”
The 26-year-old, who is ranked No 57 in the world and qualified via the continental quota route, said she also needed to improve her stamina and focus.
Wong said her coach, Cheung Man-chung, had designed some tough drills to improve her fitness.
“I need to work on my stamina because those four minutes [that matches last] are very crucial,” Wong said. “I need to sprint for 400 or 800 metres, and my coach will get me to run up stairs, or even carry a teammate when doing so, to improve my explosive power.”