Paris Olympics: Jason Ng ‘very motivated’ for triathlon debut, says coach Andrew Wright
- In rowing, Chiu Hin-chun is looking to make history when he competes just after 4pm (HKT) in the quarter-finals of the men’s single sculls
The Olympics may have come four years earlier than expected for Jason Ng Tai-long but the triathlete is “very motivated”, according to head coach Andrew Wright.
The 24-year-old will be watched on by a family legion – 11 members including his mum, grandfather, uncles, aunts and cousins – at Pont Alexandre III when he dives into the River Seine at 2pm Hong Kong time on Tuesday.
While the organisers have cancelled swimming training for a second day in a row on Monday, because of poor water quality, the mastermind behind Ng’s qualification believed there was nothing to worry about and hinted at what the debutant had to do.
“They’re quite confident [the event] is going ahead,” Wright said. “He has to focus on doing his processes well and find the enjoyment in it all.
“He has to remember that he’s not on the start line by himself but with the whole team and the spirit of Hong Kong behind him.”
Having checked in at the Olympic Village last week and attended the opening ceremony last Friday, Ng is “calm and collected” as usual, Wright said. The two even had time to witness the spectacular performance of épéeist Vivian Kong Man-wai, who silenced a deafening home crowd at the Grand Palais on Saturday to snatch a historic gold for the city.
“We have a television in the lobby of our village accommodation so we are all able to watch together,” he said. “It’s very motivating watching our other athletes competing and doing so well.”
