Solid preparation key to HK's hot wheels

Brothers Zhang Lei and Zhang Miao and Cheng Changsong ride a victory lap after winning the men's track team sprint on Sunday. Zou Zhongpin / China Daily

Guangzhou - The coach of Hong Kong cyclist Lee Wai Sze believes her Asian Games record-setting win in the 500m time trial on Saturday was always in the pipeline because the territory prepared for the Guangzhou Games like never before.

"It is not a surprise to me," said Shen Jinkang. "The attention we have paid to preparing for the Asian Games is just like how China prepared for the (2008 Beijing) Olympics."

Lee snatched the title from under the nose of defending champion and hot favorite Chinese by setting an Asian record of 33.945 seconds at the Guangzhou velodrome.

Shen said Lee has the potential to beat her own record in the near future as she faltered during the first half of the first lap.

The coach was equally impressed with 19-year-old Cheung King Lok, who won a silver medal in the men's 4,000m individual pursuit on Sunday in his Asian Games debut.

It took an Asian record from the ROK's Jang Sun-jea to relegate Cheung to second place.

"Cheung will be a big star in four or five years' time," said Shen. "He's been fighting fit since he returned from a high-altitude training program we sent him on."

Cheung said it was an honor to vie for the title with Jang, one of his idols, but that it grated coming so close to glory.

"I had the chance to do it but I let it go," he said.

Shen said that recent improvements to Hong Kong's training facilities and support services paid dividends in terms of cycling success.

"Our system now helps them recover faster from training sessions and recent competitions," he said.

China pocketed the other two gold medals in track cycling - in the men's team sprint and the women's 3,000m individual pursuit.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/15/2010 page)