Hong Kong triathletes battling for ‘survival of our sport’ face World Cup test
With an Asian Games medal essential to guarantee top-tier funding, city’s triathletes head to Canada for last warm-up race
Andrew Wright has told Hong Kong’s triathletes to “go all out from the start” when they complete their competitive Asian Games preparations in Canada this weekend.
A six-strong city squad will race in the World Triathlon Cup leg in Edmonton, before moving into camp ahead of “fighting for the survival of our sport” in Japan in September.
Bronze medallists in the mixed-team relay in Hangzhou three years ago, success of any kind in the individual or team races in Aichi-Nagoya would maintain the sport’s Tier A status at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.
Japan took gold in all three races in 2023, and will be heavy favourites to do so again on home soil. China, meanwhile, will expect to feature on the podium across all disciplines.
Qualifying for the Los Angeles Olympics would also secure Tier A status, as would gold at the National Games. But Oscar Coggins could only manage bronze in the men’s individual race, and the team took silver.
Neither Robin Elg nor Bailee Brown, both part of the Asian Games team, have recovered from injuries in time for the sprint-distance Canadian races. Elg last competed in the National Games in November, while Brown has been absent since May.