Hong Kong cyclist Jessica Lee retires, leaving bosses scrambling to find team for Asian Games in Hangzhou
- The 31-year-old sprinter from Glasgow decides to call it a day after representing Hong Kong at Tokyo Olympics last summer
- Sarah Lee won four individual sprint medals at past two Asian Games but will only focus on team event in Hangzhou
Hong Kong cycling bosses have been left scrambling to fill their Asian Games spots after the retirement of sprinter Jessica Lee Hoi-yan.
Lee, who represented the city at the Tokyo Olympics last summer, had been expected to compete in the individual cycling events in Hangzhou in September.
But her “difficult decision” to retire means the Hong Kong Cycling Association will have to look elsewhere, because Sarah Lee Wai-sze, who won bronze in Tokyo has said she will only compete in team events.
“It was a difficult decision,” Jessica Lee said. “And as from 2022 I have retired from professional cycling, it was a chapter of my life that I’d cherish forever, it has been life changing.
“I have met some incredibly strong people from all around the world and you are all precious. What a privilege to have represented Hong Kong and at the Olympic Games.”
Sarah Lee won four golds in the women’s individual sprint and keirin events at the past two Asian Games in Incheon and Jakarta, but the track cycling star, who will be 35 when the Games start, previously said she would not compete in the individual events this time around.
Jessica Lee, who competed alongside Sarah Lee at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, would have been first choice to replace her compatriot in the two individual events, but her decision to quit professional cycling has changed everything.
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“We know there is a transition period as athletes always choose to call it a day after major games and it comes little surprise Jessica has made such a decision,” Leung Hung-tak, the Hong Kong Cycling Association’s chairman, said.
“She returned to Scotland after the Tokyo Olympics and it is unlikely she will return to Hong Kong to continue her career.
“But we still have a number of potential youngsters that can be further developed, although we are not too sure if they can break through in time for the Asian Games later this year. If not, we may have to wait for the next Games in Nagoya four years later.”
While upcoming Yeung Cho-yiu has been training with the two Lees for more than a year as a potential rider for future, two other young cyclists – Ching Yin-shan and Ng Sze-wing – will be given more exposure to see if they are ready to compete at senior level.
“The trio will be key members of our future sprinting squad and it will be great if they can learn from Sarah Lee before the world class rider retires,” Leung said.
“We have already discussed with Sarah Lee to see if she can also compete in the individual events in Hangzhou but the response is not that convincing. She is still a force to be reckoned with despite her age and of course we hope she will change her mind later on.”
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Jessica Lee, who is based in Glasgow, joined the Hong Kong team in 2018 after taking part in the 2017 National Games in Tianjin, where she was identified as having international potential by head coach Shen Jinkang.
She was a member of the overseas Chinese squad at the Games, but because she was born in Hong Kong before moving to Scotland, she was able to represent the city.
Lee then took part in the 2018 Asian Games where she was placed fourth in the keirin and fifth in the sprint, and qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the same two events.
She finished 29th in the sprint qualifiers, failing to make it to the first round. In the keirin, she was fourth in her heat and was forced to compete in the repechage when she was eliminated after another fourth place finish.
