Hong Kong’s three athletes have been told they have a “duty to step up” when their Asian Games qualifiers heat up in mainland China on Saturday.
Andrew Wright, the head coach, has deliberately set the bar high, with his athletes needing to finish on the podium, and come home ahead of their peers, at the Lianyungang Asia Triathlon Cup leg to book their ticket to the September Games. There is an added incentive as Lianyungang offers the first opportunity to earn qualification points for the 2028 Olympics.
“We want one thing from all the athletes, which is to be competitive and fight for the Asian Games qualification,” Wright said.
“They should be fit by now, they’ve had a lot of warning since we released the criteria (to qualify for the Asian Games), so it’s everyone’s responsibility to show up.”
Of the big guns in the city squad, only Robin Elg and Cade Wright are missing from the Jiangsu run. Having suffered a major backlash since last November’s National Games, Elg is targeting a comeback at June’s Asian Super Sprint Championships, which both double as the final selection race for the Hong Kong Games, and offer a raft of Olympic points.
“He is training well and in good spirits, but we will decide (whether he will play next month) closer to the time,” Wright said. “If other athletes do well and get automatic qualifications, there might not be a chance for him because he hasn’t raced.”
