Sarah Kwong Sze-oi made history on Saturday by becoming the first Hong Kong woman to throw the javelin over 50 meters at the Asian Under-20 Athletics Championships.
Already the under-20 city record holder, Kwong’s throw of 51.27m at the Kai Tak Youth Stadium easily surpassed his previous best of 48.63m.
That effort was enough to finish fourth, with Tai Yu-chin of Chinese Taipei taking the gold with a throw of 56.91m. Ana Bhianca Espenilla of the Philippines won the silver medal with 52.20 meters, and Kim Minji of South Korea won the bronze medal with 51.51 meters.
Kwong’s throw also obliterated Hong Kong’s 10-year-old all-age record of 49.37m set by Ng Chi-sum.
“Breaking the record on home soil is very exciting,” Kwong said. “I heard people cheering me after every throw, which is difficult to experience during an overseas tournament.
“Today’s competition was rare because everyone was so close. We were all progressing step by step with throws in the 48m and 49m range, and that helped bring my performance.
“When I compete overseas at the highest levels, most athletes are already jumping 56 meters from the start, so there is less pressure and excitement.”
