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Paul McNamara

Head coach Andrew Wright said he was living on his nerves as Hong Kong’s leading triathletes tackled a treacherous course in the Asia Triathlon Cup in Japan on Saturday.
The sprint race in Gamagori, which doubled as a test event for next year’s Asian Games, was the city team’s last run-out before they head for a five-week altitude camp in Yunnan to prepare for the National Games in November.
After falling off her bike in last month’s Asia Championships in Istanbul, Bailee Brown survived the sodden conditions to come home 12th.
National Games medal hopes Robin Elg and Oscar Coggins were fourth and sixth, respectively, in a men’s race won by Japan’s imperious Takumi Hojo. New Zealand pair Saxon Morgan and Henry McMeking finished second and third.
The 20-kilometre bike leg was staged over three laps, each featuring five U-turns and 12 90-degree turns.
“It’s the most technical bike course I’ve seen for triathlon,” Wright said. “With the rain and white lines, there were lots of accidents … I was so nervous throughout both races that one of our athletes would come down.”

Hojo, who won Asian gold in Turkey to add to his 2025 Asia Sprint Championship crown, was first in 52 minutes and 22 seconds. Elg was 10 seconds back in 52:32, with Coggins coming home in 53:04.
“We didn’t rest into the event but everyone was still really strong, they just couldn’t hit top gear on the run,” Wright said. “We implemented our National Games strategy, so Robin and Oscar biked as hard as possible to try to pull the field apart.”
The Hong Kong pair, who banked top-five Asia Championship finishes, have benefited from training in the Pyrenees this summer with top Team GB triathletes.
“I’ve thanked the British athletes for teaching our guys a lesson, especially Robin, that consistency is king in endurance sport,” Wright said. “They hit every session, recovered well and adapted from it. If you train hard, but don’t recover and adapt, the training is useless.”
While Coggins and Elg are in rude health and set to join Brown and Hilda Choi Yan-yin in Sunday’s mixed relay, Hong Kong’s other men’s National Games contender, Wong Tsz-to, finished 21st in 54:37.
Wright, however, said it was “great to have [Wong] in the team”, after he automatically qualified at June’s China Championships.
“If you can’t get the slots in qualification races, you’re not going to step up in the main event and get results,” Wright said. “He’s an excellent relay athlete and I’m happy to have him with us.”

Home athlete Kanae Takenaka recorded 1:00.07 to claim victory in the women’s race. Wright said Brown, who has had four operations in the past 10 months on a seriously injured finger, would have received a “big psychological boost” after finishing unscathed in 1:00:55.
Choi was 22nd in 1:02.03, a performance Wright said was “solid enough”.
Tallulah Wright and Cade Wright, who is in Hong Kong’s National Games team, will compete in an African Triathlon Cup in Taghazout Bay, Morocco, on Sunday, after the sisters missed Gamagori because they had to register for their new university years in Edinburgh.
Paris Olympian Jason Ng Tai-long, who missed the National Games cut, also sat out the Japanese event and will “focus on the World Cups later this year”


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Oscar Coggins navigates a tricky bike course on his way to finishing sixth in the Asia Triathlon Cup. Photo: TAHKC

Robin Elg, who was ‘taught a lesson’ by Britain’s triathletes, transitions to the bike in Gamagori. Photo: TAHKC

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Wong Wan-chun has been asked for further information to rejoin the Hong Kong team. Photo: Edmond So

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Sport

Hong Kong

Head coach Andrew Wright relieved as city squad emerge from sodden Asia Triathlon Cup intact, Robin Elg and Oscar Coggins impress again


Head coach Andrew Wright relieved as city squad emerge from sodden Asia Triathlon Cup intact, Robin Elg and Oscar Coggins impress again.


Asia Triathlon Cup: Hong Kong’s National Games squad survive tricky Japanese test

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Head coach Andrew Wright relieved as city squad emerge from sodden Asia Triathlon Cup intact, Robin Elg and Oscar Coggins impress again

Head coach Andrew Wright relieved as city squad emerge from sodden Asia Triathlon Cup intact, Robin Elg and Oscar Coggins impress again