Hong Kong triathlon quartet claim Asia bronze as teenage gem confirms potential
Junior Andy Wong joins Cade Wright, Tallulah Wright and Nick Yip to help city team reach podium; Japan win gold and silver goes to China
Andy Wong Nok-hei confirmed his enormous potential, and the “pretty stoked” Cade and Tallulah Wright bid a triumphant farewell to age-group competition as Hong Kong claimed mixed relay bronze from the CBB International Asia Triathlon Junior and U23 Championships on Sunday.
Devastated after he finished fourth in Saturday’s junior individual race, the 18-year-old Wong delivered a fine second leg after he got the nod over more senior teammates to join the Wright sisters and Nick Yip Tak-long in the city quartet.
Power-packed Japan cruised to gold on Central Harbourfront in one hour, 28 minutes and 28 seconds. China emerged from the engaging battle behind to finish best of the rest in 1:29.26, with Yip bringing the hosts home in 1:29.45.
After the Hong Kong foursome all missed individual honours on Saturday, coach Arthur Cheung Tak-hei said he had applied “some positive pressure on the athletes, and tried to fire them up to make today count”.
“They executed pretty well and thrived off that pressure,” he said.
The leadoff athlete when Hong Kong won National Games relay silver last year, Cade Wright repeated her fine first-leg exploits to blaze around the 300-metre swim, 7.2km bike and 1.7km run course.