Tokyo 2020: how Hong Kong’s Olympians have been coping, training and goal-setting in time of Covid-19
- Tokyo-bound Jessica Lee, Michael Cheng, Grace Lau, Thomas Ho and Vivian Kong reflect on athlete life during pandemic
- ‘I really, really want to do well and bring some good news back home,’ says former world No 1 Kong
As athletes around the world enthusiastically welcome 2021, not all the problems from Covid-19-stricken 2020 will disappear just like that. It has been increasingly difficult to remain optimistic amid the postponements and cancellations of hopes and dreams – but this is what true professionals do best: learn to overcome.
Hong Kong’s top representative athletes have been through it all: the mental toll of been locked down in a sports institute over winter and being unable to compete; not being able to access favourite equipment and resources for training; or having to inconveniently hop from country to country depending on Covid-19 cases or trajectories.
Having been subjected to months of makeshift arrangements and settling for less ahead of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics – now moved to next July/August – one thing remains the same. The quest for success.
Hong Kong was represented by 42 athletes in London 2012 and 37 in Rio 2016.
