Hong Kong Athletics Championships: hurdler Vera Lui close to breaking 30-year-old record
- Lui says she has worked on her technique since last year’s Asian Games and is heading ‘in the right direction’
- Tiffany Yue unable to qualify for Paris Olympics in long jump, but maintains she still has time
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The city’s top female hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu believes she is on the right track after coming agonisingly close to breaking a 30-year-old record at the Hong Kong Athletics Championships on Sunday.
Lui ran 13.15 seconds in the 100 metre hurdles heats at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground, 0.01 seconds off the Hong Kong record set by Chan Sau-ying in the United States in 1994.
“I wasn’t really expecting a time but just trying my best and doing what I need to on the lane,” she said. “I was really focused this morning knowing I don’t have to worry much. A lot of things could happen when competing overseas, so it’s better to be at home.”
Lui failed to replicate her morning time in the afternoon, but her 13.27 was more than enough to defend her title. Abbie Taddeo of Australia finished second 0.08 behind, with Vietnam’s Bui Thi Nguyen rounding out the podium with a time of 13.68.
The Hongkonger said she had spent a lot of time working on her technique after finishing sixth at the Asian Games last October, and felt she was heading “in the right direction”.
After her performance in Hangzhou, Lui spent six months training in Florida with a couple of other hurdlers, including gold medallist Lin Yuwei of China, and said the atmosphere and healthy competition day in and day out was “encouraging and happy”.
Lui said she was looking forward to returning to the US, with the focused environment “very different to training in Hong Kong”.
“There are a lot of things to handle and no one is helping out, it was always busy but fulfilling at the same time, so it’s a happy journey,” she said.
In the men’s long jump final, Theo Chan Ming-tai was the city’s best performer, finishing second with a leap of 7.75 metres, while compatriot Ko Ho-long placed fourth with a 7.58m effort.
Taiwan’s Wen Huayu topped the podium with a 7.81m jump, with Janry Ubas of the Philippines third with a 7.61m attempt.
On Saturday, Hong Kong’s hopes of having another athlete qualify for the Paris Olympics took a hit, with Tiffany Yue Nga-yan managing only a 6.38-metre leap to win the women’s long jump title.
Yue posted a personal best of 6.50m to win bronze at the Asian Games, but has not come close to the city record since and needs to do so to have any chance of breaking into the qualifying spots.
But the 26-year-old is not giving up on her dream and is convinced she can do what it takes to be competing in France.
“The top 32 can qualify for Paris, and I now rank world No 43, so I like my chances,” said Yue, who managed 6.45m at the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran in February. “I just need to jump over 6.50 metres in two or three events and it’s almost certain I’d be among the top 32.”
