appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Chan Kin-wa

Sarah Lee Wai-sze has been dropped from Hong Kong’s list of elite athletes amid rumours the 35-year-old Olympian has finally decided to retire.
The track cycling star, who won bronze medals at the London and Tokyo Olympics, will also not compete at the Asian Games later this year.
Despite not responding to multiple requests to confirm her retirement, sources said Lee’s decision not to have any races on her calendar and focus on her degree at Baptist University pointed to the end of a glittering career.
“She wants to keep a low profile of her future but definitely not to continue her sporting career,” a source said. “She once said she would like to compete in the Asian Games in Hangzhou this summer, but as you can see she has a blank competition list for almost 10 months which tells you her intention.”
Lee has reportedly eyed becoming a coach, and a source close to the Cycling Association said the cyclist had been working with some of the young riders in the Hong Kong team.

“We think she will continue in the field most likely as a coach, especially as head coach Shen Jinkang is going to retire after the Hangzhou Asian Games,” the source said.
Hong Kong team will send a squad of six riders to the last Nations Cup of the year in Milton, Canada next week and with Lee missing, Yeung Cho-yiu will race in the sprint and keirin events.
While cycling bosses are not required to submit their squad for the Games in September to the city’s Olympic Committee until the end of this month, and can be revised up until July, the source said without training Lee would be in no form to compete.
“After all, she is not young any more and it takes a lot more hard work and time before she can compete again, especially in sprinting events which require a lot of power and energy,” the source said.
After winning her second Olympic bronze medal in Japan in 2021, Lee only competed twice last year in the Nations Cup in Colombia and the following Japan Cup, a Class I event, both in July.

She came 12th in the sprint and was forth in the keirin in Cali, but won the keirin and came second in the sprint in Izu where the Tokyo Olympics took place. Since then, she has been focusing on her studies and seldom attends training.
A new list of the institutes scholarship athletes is expected to be published in April when the financial year begins.
“We are updating the list as there are changes of athletes involving some 20 tier A, six tier B and para sports,” an Institute spokesman said. “At the moment, the information are update as of March 29 and hopefully we can provide the latest version for the new financial year by early next month.”
Once Lee officially retires she becomes eligible for HK$1 million in retirement money as an elite athlete who has served at least 12 years.
The spirited rider first surged to prominence when she lifted a 2010 Asian Games gold medal in the 500-metre time trial in Guangzhou, before snatching a keirin bronze at the 2012 London Olympics.
She won her first world championship gold, also in the time trial, at the 2013 Worlds in Minsk, Belarus and clinched a double gold, sprint and keirin, at the 2019 Worlds in Poland.
In between, she won a double gold in the sprint and keirin at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and successfully defended the two titles in Jakarta four years later.
She was said to be hitting her best form in 2020 with Tokyo Olympic golds in the sprint and keirin her prime target, but coronavirus pandemic forced the Games to be postponed for a year, and she managed only a sprint bronze in 2021.


Hong Kong can provide its snowboarders with a route to success

Hong Kong sport ‘setting bar low’, enabling mediocrity with cash handouts, coach says

Hong Kong Olympian wants end to sport tragedy blame game, calls for heart screening boost

‘Age is not a limit’ for swimmer Haughey who is enjoying senior role in Hong Kong team

Hong Kong Sports Institute

Asian Games: Hong Kong Olympian Sarah Lee dropped as elite athlete as retirement rumours swirl, will not race in Hangzhou

Hong Kong’s Sarah Lee poses with her  bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo: Reuters

Sarah Lee (left) could be preparing to replace her coach Shen Jinkang, who is expected to retire after the Asian Games. Photo: Handout

Track cyclist Sarah Lee was presented with a “Hall of Fame” award by the city’s Sports Press Association last August. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Sarah Lee left out of track cycling Nations Cup, as prospect of retirement comes into focus again

Wai Sze Lee of Team Hong Kong reacts to winning the bronze medal during the track cycling women’s sprint race at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, in Izu, Japan. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Cycling ace Sarah Lee Wai-sze. Photo: Handout

Ceci Lee Sze-wing. Photo: Kelly Ho

Hong Kong Sports Awards: Cyclist Sarah Lee misses out for first time in 10 years, as nomination period closes

Sarah Lee with her sports stars award at the Hong Kong Sports Awards in 2022. Photo: Xiaomei

Marco Fu has not been nominated for a sports award this time around. Photo: Handout

Veteran cyclist Sarah Lee remains focused on Asian Games as she earns Hall of Fame nod in annual press awards

Sarah Lee won the first Hall of Fame award from the Sports Press Association. Photo: AP

Sarah Lee celebrates after winning the women’s sprint final at the 2019 World Championship in Pruszkow, Poland. Photo: AP 

Sioban Haughey and Sarah Lee with presenters at the Sports Press Association annual presentation. Photo: Sports Press Association

Hong Kong cycling star Sarah Lee seeks redemption after early sprint exit at UCI Nations Cup

Sarah Lee returned to competition after more than 10 months. Photo: Cycling Association

Sarah Lee with her Tokyo Olympics and National Games’ medals. Photo: Chan Kin-wa

Youngster Lee Sze-wing saves Hong Kong with a gold in the last day of competition at the National Games. Photo: Cycling Association

Olympic bronze medallist Sarah Lee eyeing gold at Hangzhou Asian Games as she calls time on stellar cycling career

Sarah Lee Wai-sze celebrates after taking bronze in women’s track cycling at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong bronze medallist Lee Wai Sze Lee celebrates on the podium during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Photo: dpa

Sport

Hong Kong

Other Sport

Sources say double Olympic bronze medallist has effectively retired and is now concentrating on her degree at Baptist University
The 35-year-old only raced twice internationally in 2022 and has not competed for almost 10 months


Sources at Hong Kong Cycling Association say double Olympic bronze medallist has effectively retired and is now concentrating on her degree at Baptist University.


Sarah Lee Wai-sze