Advertisement

Hong Kong cycling star Lee targets Olympics solution, plagued by start-line fears: ‘I am afraid I will do badly again’

  • Ceci Lee Sze-wing poised to have Olympic Games qualification for omnium confirmed on Sunday
  • Hongkonger enduring disappointing season in major competition, but saw shard of light in Canadian Nations Cup elimination race

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
Ceci Lee is trying to conquer the worry suppressing her natural cycling talent.
Photo: Instagram/_ceci_lee

Ceci Lee Sze-wing said she was stalked by worry and fear on the start line of her omnium event at last week’s UCI Track Nations Cup in Canada.

Advertisement

Leading Hong Kong track rider Lee stuttered home in 20th position, despite entering the competition in fabulous shape, and finishing fifth in a thrilling elimination race 48 hours earlier.

The 22-year-old nevertheless clung to an Olympic Games berth, which is expected to be confirmed when the sport’s UCI governing body releases its quota of qualified riders on Sunday.

Head coach Herve Dagorne acknowledged Lee’s omnium effort in Canada was “absolutely not what we expected”. The Frenchman told the Post before the meeting that Lee was consulting a sports psychologist to try to address the mental issues suffocating her natural talent.

Lee has spoken candidly about her ongoing struggle to manage external expectations, which contributed to a flat performance in the Nations Cup last month, staged in Hong Kong.

Ceci Lee is struggling to transfer fine training form to elite competition. Photo: Dickson Lee
Ceci Lee is struggling to transfer fine training form to elite competition. Photo: Dickson Lee

She finished 12th in her home velodrome, matching her result in this year’s opening Nations Cup leg in Adelaide. Lee claimed omnium silver in the relatively reduced surroundings of February’s Asian Track Championships. Dagorne, meanwhile, has reported sizzling training form, which heightened his disappointment over Lee’s “worst showing of the qualification campaign” in Canada.

Advertisement