Following the retirement of Hong Kong’s two-time Olympic medallist Sarah Lee Wai-sze, the spotlight now turns to Ceci Lee Sze-wing, who is on track for Olympic glory in 2024.
After the rising star won a bronze medal at 18 in her first Asian Championships as an elite rider, Hong Kong cycling head coach Shen Jinkang hailed Lee as the team’s “future main force”.
Four years later, the 22-year-old is living up to expectations.
At her Asian Games debut in Hangzhou this year, Lee brought home three medals, including a silver in the women’s omnium event, a points-based competition that consisted of four different races.
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Lee recalled a moment during the competition when she was neck and neck with Japan’s Yumi Kajihara, who had previously won world gold and Olympic silver in the event. The budding talent received encouragement from Hong Kong’s retired cycling legend.
“Sarah kept encouraging me not to give up, no matter if it was possible or not. She said I should keep thinking about how to win, rather than settling for second place as the goal,” she told Young Post.
“In the past, she would come talk to me after training and encourage me not to give myself too much pressure. I did not have much experience in competitions back then, so I would get very nervous and cry before the game,” said the younger Lee, who is currently training in Kunming.
Although Hongkongers have already dubbed her the “little queen of cycling”, the young athlete felt she had yet to reach the calibre of the city’s most famous cyclists like Wong Kam-po, Kwok Ho-ting and Sarah Lee.
“They are the ones who truly deserve that distinction. Currently, I’m not anything yet,” she said. “I aspire to become a world champion one day and achieve the same level of success as these legends.”
A cycling star is born
At the start, cycling was not Lee’s first choice.
As a primary school student, she began her sporting journey as a triathlete, and it was in the cycling portion of the competition that Lee fell short.
To help the youngster improve her skills on two wheels, Lee’s father enrolled her in the Cycling Association of Hong Kong’s Stars of Tomorrow programme.
As a Primary Five pupil at the time, Lee was the team’s youngest athlete and had the least experience.
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She recalled always being the last to reach the peak when she first started training. But her competitive spirit fuelled her determination.
“My physicality was not on par with my other teammates at the time. But I hoped to be the number one. I did not want to finish last, so I worked hard and improved quickly,” Lee said, adding that over time, she became fascinated with the speed of sprinting and the variety of cycling competitions.
Eventually, the teen was able to finish first. At 14, she became a junior member of the Hong Kong cycling team in 2015, putting her on the path to future success.
In 2021, she won the city’s first gold in the women’s individual road cycling event at the 14th National Games.
Among Lee’s many notable achievements, one stands out most to her: her bronze medal in the women’s team pursuit event at this year’s Asian Games.
Days before going up against South Korea, Lee and her teammates – Yang Qianyu, Boey Leung Bo-yee, and Chloe Leung – gathered to discuss how they could turn the tide in what seemed like a “hopeless” event.
“This event has always been dominated by [mainland] China, Japan and South Korea. In recent years, the Hong Kong team has not had the opportunity to step onto the podium,” Lee explained, adding that the team pushed themselves in training for the event.
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“Even when we met the South Korean team in the changing room, I could tell that they were very confident. But I thought we could give it a go.”
During the race, Lee and her teammates initially fell behind. But eventually, the team made a stunning comeback, securing the bronze medal with a lead of almost 1.3 seconds ahead of South Korea.
“This is the happiest moment of my cycling career because it proves that the impossible can become possible,” Lee said.
Eyes on the prize
But spending most of her days on the track presents many challenges. Beyond the rigorous training schedule she follows, Lee shared that the toughest part was having to be far from her home in Hong Kong.
From last December until September of this year, Lee was training in the mainland. She explained that the traffic in Hong Kong made it exhausting for cyclists to train there.
“During morning training sessions [in Hong Kong], there is usually traffic on the way there. Even when we train at night, despite feeling tired, we still have to endure traffic on our way back home,” she explained.
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“But if we do not train in Hong Kong, we cannot see our families and have to spend long periods of time in Kunming, other mainland cities, or overseas. We all miss Hong Kong dearly, along with our families and the food there.”
The star cyclist attributes her resilience to her tenacious personality, which has helped her conquer her toughest moments.
“Whenever I am overwhelmed by my training schedule, I try to think about my rest days and avoid dwelling on the tough part. This mindset has helped me with a lot of my competitions and training because I have a better mentality to handle everything,” she noted.
In recent years, Hong Kong athletes have garnered more attention, with a number of emerging stars from the sports world stepping into the public spotlight after the city’s historic wins at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
At this year’s Asian Games, Lee shared that even her parents were approached by Hongkongers who had flown to Hangzhou just to support the city’s cyclists.
“I did not anticipate such immense passion from people towards the game and the sport. It truly touched me, and I felt that more people are supporting us,” she said.
Next, the young athlete has her eyes on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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In 2020, she lost her chance to qualify for the Games in Tokyo after being outscored by two points in the world championships.
But this time, Lee is confident that she can claim a spot.
Having already achieved satisfactory scores in the Asian Championships and International Track Cup this year, Lee is poised to qualify for the Paris Olympics next summer.
If she makes it to the Games, she aims to finish within the top 16 in her events.
“My coach has hopes for me to get a medal at the Olympics. I hope one day I can succeed,” she shared, acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead.
“I recognise the differences between myself and the top riders, but meanwhile, I strive to narrow those gaps.”
