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Lo Hoi-ying

Hong Kong sporting event organisers should use technology to better track and monitor athletes, lawmakers have urged after a triathlete went missing at sea in Tai Po and was later found dead.
The death of the participant in the city’s Summer Triathlon Challenge on Sunday has raised concerns over whether safety measures for such races are sufficient, especially amid unstable weather.
“Since technology has advanced, can the GPS be optimised? In many past races, participants used GPS to log checkpoints and completion times,” lawmaker Vincent Cheng Wing-shun told a radio programme.
“Could there be a system notification if a participant enters the water but does not reach the finish line after 15 minutes, or within a set time frame?”
Cheng, who had also signed up for the race but did not enter the water, questioned why it took so long before anyone realised the participant was missing, and urged the organiser to review video recordings and participant logs.
Ma Chi-po, 59, was competing in the race on Sunday, which comprised a 1,500m swim, a 30km cycle along Bride’s Pool Road and an 8km (5 miles) run.
Ma’s group started the swim at 6.20am, but the organiser said event staff noticed he had not completed it nearly an hour later, at around 7.15am.
Police received a report at 7.57am that Ma had entered the water for the swimming leg but failed to resurface.
Fire Services Department officers found the man at around 3.17pm and he was sent to Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital in Tai Po, where he was later pronounced dead.
Cheng called on the city’s event organisers to draw on overseas experience and consider adopting a more conservative response mechanism, or introducing regional storm and climate indicators as a basis for decision-making.

Safety tow floats attached to the waists of leisure participants are mandatory in the annual Harbour Race at Victoria Harbour, a measure Cheng said could be considered.
He said the tragic accident also served as a reminder for all participants to assess their own physical capacity, even though the victim was very experienced.
Another legislator, Adrian Pedro Ho King-hong, said open-water swimming was highly unpredictable and that even slight changes in water temperature could affect swimmers.
Ho suggested the event could improve its checkpoint mechanism and introduce technologies such as AI, video-recording equipment and underwater real-time positioning.
“Just like traffic monitoring in Hong Kong uses AI, computer vision and cameras, can tracking technology be used in the water to monitor every athlete?” he said on the same programme.
“If an incident occurs, an immediate alert could notify nearby rescue personnel at that specific location so they can respond right away.”
Ho said he believed the current physical requirements were sufficient, although Sunday’s race had no specific prerequisites for athletes. There were cut-off times for each course.
Globally, most triathlons require a minimum age but no formal skill or speed prerequisites. Participants are generally only required to bring basic gear, such as a bike and helmet, and finish before the cut-off time.

The Triathlon Association of Hong Kong China, which organised the event, said it maintained a “safe ratio” of safety rescue personnel to participants, and that the swimming leg started when sea conditions were calm.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Monday, the association said it had always placed the safety of participants and staff as its “top priority”.
“Before and during the race, the organiser closely monitored weather forecasts and warning signals issued by the Hong Kong Observatory,” it said, adding that it would “definitely cancel” the race if rainstorm or typhoon warnings were issued two hours before the start.
The forecaster had not issued a rainstorm warning when the race director briefed the first wave of participants, 20 minutes before the race.
“There was no rain at the Tai Mei Tuk Centre site, and there were no thunderstorms within 5km over the sea,” the organiser said.
“Conditions were calm, with high sea visibility, meeting the requirements to start the race before it officially commenced.”
Despite the Observatory issuing the amber rainstorm alert shortly afterwards at 6.10am, warning that squally thunderstorms were expected, there was still no rain at Tai Mei Tuk and conditions remained suitable for racing, the association said.
A total of 316 participants took part in Sunday’s event, divided into 10 waves according to race category.
“Each wave started at intervals to ensure the ratio of safety rescue personnel to participants remained within a safe margin,” the organiser said.
A total of 22 water rescue support personnel were deployed, comprising five crew members in two patrol speedboats, 10 kayaks manned by qualified rescue personnel stationed along the swim course, six land-based support personnel and one head of water rescue safety.
Staff kept records throughout the race to ensure the number of athletes entering and exiting the sea was tracked, the organiser said.
“At around 7.15am, event staff first noticed there was no record of the victim exiting the water. An emergency response protocol was activated immediately to report the situation to the relevant government authorities,” it said, adding that the on-site rescue team launched an immediate search until authorities took over.
According to the organiser’s inclement weather policy, the race would be cancelled if a No 8 typhoon signal or higher was issued at or after 12pm on the day before the event.
The race would also be called off if a No 3 typhoon signal or a red or black rainstorm warning was in force two hours before the start of the first wave on the morning of the race.


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Authorities conducted a search and rescue operation lasting nearly seven hours before finding the triathlete. Photo: Handout

Lawmaker Vincent Cheng has called on event organisers to refer to overseas experience and consider adopting a more conservative response mechanism. Photo: Karma Lo

Participants wear safety tow floats at the annual Victoria Harbour Race, a measure a lawmaker says can be considered. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The death of the triathlete has raised concerns over whether safety measures for such races are sufficient. Photo: Handout

Police received a report at 7.57am that Ma Chi-po had entered the water for the swimming leg but failed to resurface. Photo: Handout

Call to suspend water sports when amber alert in force after triathlete, 59, dies

Fire Services Department rescuers transfer the body of the triathlete on a stretcher. Photo: Handout

The man was pronounced dead at Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital. Photo: Warton Li

Hong Kong emergency services search for the missing triathlete in Tai Mei Tuk. Handout

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Health & Environment

‘Could there be a system notification if a participant enters the water but does not reach the finish line after 15 minutes?’ lawmaker Vincent Cheng says


‘Could there be a system notification if a participant enters the water but does not reach the finish line after 15 minutes?’ lawmaker Vincent Cheng says.


Artificial intelligence (AI)

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Adrian Pedro Ho King-hong

Triathlete death sparks calls for AI monitoring, GPS tracking at Hong Kong races

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}‘Could there be a system notification if a participant enters the water but does not reach the finish line after 15 minutes?’ lawmaker Vincent Cheng says

‘Could there be a system notification if a participant enters the water but does not reach the finish line after 15 minutes?’ lawmaker Vincent Cheng says