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Paul McNamara

Andrew Wright struggled to interpret the significance of Hong Kong claiming aquathlon silver from the Asian Beach Games on Saturday, but acknowledged his satisfaction that “we are one of the few sports that consistently delivers” for the city.
Currently in Yunnan province in mainland China for an altitude camp with leading triathlete Oscar Coggins, head coach Wright monitored from afar as Bailee Brown, Wong Tsz-to, Hilda Choi Yan-yin and Mark Yu Shing-him combined to break Hong Kong’s medal duck on the fifth day of competition in Sanya, Hainan Island.
The city quartet finished in one hour, two minutes and 35 seconds, behind a dominant China team that cruised home in 1.01.44. Japan managed 1.03.54 for bronze.
“It’s classed as a major Games for Hong Kong, but there’s no funding or anything significant [as a reward], so … in simple terms [the medal] doesn’t mean anything,” Wright said.
“But when you’re going to a government-funded major Games and you medal, they like it, so we’re all happy.”
Wright’s triathlon programme delivered a 2023 Asian Games medal and a pair of podium finishes from last year’s National Games, either side of providing a 2024 Paris Olympics qualifier in Jason Ng Tai-long.

“All I do every day is throw everything I can at trying to improve results for Hong Kong, whether that’s from a development perspective or at the elite level,” Wright said.
“We’re one of the few sports that consistently delivers [for Hong Kong]. I’m not sure how significant this is, though, because I really don’t know anything about the Beach Games.”
In the absence of Cade and Tallulah Wright, both studying in Scotland, and with Coggins focusing on the Chengdu World Cup in a fortnight, Robin Elg ineligible and Ng injured, Wright said his team for Sanya picked itself.
“At this moment, Oscar is our top athlete; he has so many other significant targets and this is something we couldn’t afford to put him in,” Wright said.
“The guys who are there have missed a week of training. I made them take their bikes but they have been maintaining, not improving.”

Fifth in the individual women’s race on Thursday, Brown completed her relay leg, which featured a 500m swim sandwiched by a pair of 1.25km runs, in 16:06.
The 26-year-old had a heavily disrupted 2025 after sustaining a serious finger injury late the previous year.
“The upside for her [going to the Games] is the swim and run are currently where she’s lacking, so she’s not lost much by going over there and having two high-intensity hit outs,” Wright said.
Wong posted a 14:22 second leg, Choi went round in 16:21 and Yu came home in 14:45.
“I tell the athletes that every year a third of their races should be above their standard, and a third at a level where they’re competitive,” Wright said. “The rest should be races where they do well to help motivation, and this would count as one of those.”

Other than Coggins, none of Hong Kong’s men have met the stringent qualifying criteria for Chengdu’s May 9 World Cup leg.
Elg, who is in the later stages of his passport application process, would have been in contention were he not still nursing a stress reaction in his shin. Nonetheless, the twice Asian under-23 champion could compete in a lesser Asia Cup race in the Philippines next weekend.
“He’s having another MRI on Monday, then seeing the doctor on Wednesday, then we’ll see if he has clearance to race,” Wright said. “It’s a bit of a nightmare for him, I don’t know what’s taking so long.”
Wright is adopting an identical approach with Ng, who is managing a similar injury and hoping to return to action next week.
Brown, Choi and Tallulah Wright, no relation to the head coach, will all be in Chengdu, which will double as the first of Hong Kong’s three selection races for this year’s Asian Games.
“That doesn’t change [despite the lack of men competing],” Andrew Wright said. “It puts pressure on athletes to stay consistent, so their world ranking gets them on start lists.”
Elsewhere in Sanya, the Hong Kong pair of Nikita Lam Pac-tung and Nip Tsz-yin were fourth and fifth, respectively, in a women’s 5km open water swim final won by Li Xinxuan of China.


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Triathlon

Coach queries relevance of Hong Kong’s first 2026 Asian Beach Games medal

Bailee Brown competing during the Asian Beach Games individual aquathlon race on Thursday. Photo: Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

(From left) Mark Yu, Hilda Choi, Wong Tsz-to and Bailee Brown show off their silver medals. Photo: Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

Mark Yu is cheered on by his waiting teammates as he completes the final leg for Hong Kong. Photo: Xinhua

Bailee Brown hands over to second-leg athlete Wong Tsz-to. Photo: Xinhua

Bailee Brown gets Hong Kong’s mixed relay medal effort under way. Photo: Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China

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Anthony Watson joins a Laureus Sport For Good community visit to The Education University of Hong Kong. Photo: Laureus

Anthony Watson hopes Hong Kong youngsters are inspired watching their team at a Rugby World Cup. Photo: Laureus 

Hong Kong celebrate beating South Korea last year to qualify for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Photo: Patrick Leung

Anthony Watson during his final England appearance against Ireland in Dublin. Photo: Peter Morrison

Anthony Watson playing against Crusaders on the 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand. Photo: AFP 

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Ceci Lee, here competing during the omnium in last week’s Hong Kong World Cup leg, had to settle for seventh in Friday’s elimination race in Malaysia. Photo: Eugene Lee

Ceci Lee hits the floor following her crash in Hong Kong last Sunday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Sport

Hong Kong

Aquathlon mixed relay quartet of Bailee Brown, Wong Tsz-to, Hilda Choi Yan-yin and Mark Yu Shing-him take silver behind China


Aquathlon mixed relay quartet of Bailee Brown, Wong Tsz-to, Hilda Choi Yan-yin and Mark Yu Shing-him take silver behind China.


Coach queries relevance of Hong Kong’s first 2026 Asian Beach Games medal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Aquathlon mixed relay quartet of Bailee Brown, Wong Tsz-to, Hilda Choi Yan-yin and Mark Yu Shing-him take silver behind China

Aquathlon mixed relay quartet of Bailee Brown, Wong Tsz-to, Hilda Choi Yan-yin and Mark Yu Shing-him take silver behind China