Sarah Lee has to settle for bronze in sprint at track world championships

Hong Kong cycling star gets the better of Lithuania’s Simona Krupeckaite to capture a medal after earlier losing to eventual winner Kristina Vogel of Germany in the semi-finals

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Hong Kong’s Sarah Lee celebrates her bronze medal with the sprint winner, Germany's Kristina Vogel (centre), and silver medallist Australia's Stephanie Morton at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Hong Kong. Photo: AP

Published: 11:48pm, 14 Apr 2017

It was not the gold she had hoped for, but Hong Kong’s Sarah Lee Wai-sze captured the first medal for the hosts at the UCI Track World Championships with a bronze in the women’s sprint on Friday night.

Lee, who also won bronze at the 2013 world event in Belarus, got the better of Simona Krupeckaite of Lithuania in the first two races of a best-of-three showdown for the bronze medal to collect her fourth world championship medal.

Earlier at the packed 2,000-seat Tseung Kwan O Velodrome, Kristina Vogel of Germany was too good for Lee in the semi-finals, winning in straight races.

It was Lee’s second defeat in a row to the German star, after losing in the quarter-finals at the Rio Olympics last summer.

The powerful German rider went on to secure the gold medal in Hong Kong, beating Stephanie Morton of Australia in the final.

Germany’s Kristina Vogel edges Hong Kong's Sarah Lee in the semi-finals of the sprint. Photo: Edward Wong

“I am still very happy with the result although I did have the chance to beat her (Vogel) to reach the final,” said Lee. “It was a better race than the Rio Olympics when my performance was affected by the poor quality of my sleep.