Asia Triathlon Cup: Hong Kong pair claim podium spots, as event makes ‘spectacular’ downtown Central debut
- Jason Ng and Bailee Brown battle fatigue and burning sun to finish second and third in their respective elite races
- Competitors united in praising event, with only minor tweaks required before same venue stages World Cup leg in March
Jason Ng Tai-long and Bailee Brown survived fatigue and a burning sun to claim podium finishes in Sunday’s Asia Triathlon Cup races in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.
James Edgar of Ireland won the men’s elite race, finishing in 52 minutes, six seconds ahead of Ng, after overtaking the Hongkonger on the closing run. Australia’s Lachlan Jones was third in 52:24.
The women’s title went to Amber Schlebusch of South Africa, who came home in 59:33, with Manami Iijima of Guam second in 1:00:35, four seconds ahead of Brown in third.
Sunday’s race, which began with a 750-metre swim in Victoria Harbour and then had athletes biking and running along Lung Wo Road, doubled as a test event for the World Triathlon Cup leg in the city next March. Ng, Brown, and head coach Andrew Wright unanimously called it an “amazing” occasion.
Ng, whose parents watched their son for the first time in “five or six years”, said finishing on the podium in his home race was “an honour”.
“It was hugely motivating having people screaming for me,” he said. “I attacked early, but did not have the legs at the end.”