While some Hong Kong athletes continue to excel on day 5 of 2018 Asian Games, others say they've 'underperformed'
Jacqueline Siu says she'll be crying tears of joy this year.An impressive performance from equestrian athlete Jacqueline Siu Wing-ying in the individual dressage category won Hong Kong's first gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games.
“At the last Asian Games I came fourth individually, so I just missed out on a medal and I cried all the way home on the plane,” said the 35-year-old Siu. “And now I’ll be crying because I’m so happy.”
Not only is this Hong Kong's first gold medal at this year’s Games, it's our city's first gold medal in equestrian sports at the Asian Games.
Jacqueline Siu on her incredible win
Meanwhile, squash siblings Leo Au Chun-ming and Annie Au Wing-chi have made it to the final 16 in the individual squash competitions. As they advance, they are looking more and more like serious medal contenders. Leo, in particular, is one of the favourites to win it all.
Unfortunately, one of Hong Kong’s star swimmers, Kenneth To King-him, continued to miss the mark at the Games. “On Tuesday I underperformed and missed a medal in the 50m Free," To said on Twitter. "Today, I misjudged my heat and missed the final of the 100m Free. It just hasn’t been my week. Thank you to everyone who has supported me this Asian Games – I’m sorry to have let you down."
So far, Hong Kong has won a total of 11 medals, far fewer than what our athletes had achieved in the first five days of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Hong Kong is represented this year by a much larger and seemingly stronger group of athletes, which suggests that they have, as a whole, underperformed, while other nations' athletes have become stronger.
Fencing is thought to be Hong Kong’s strongest sport; after the men’s sabre team won the bronze earlier today, six of the city’s 11 medals so far are fencing medals.