Ceci Lee Sze-wing announced her arrival on the world stage after claiming a landmark bronze, and Hong Kong made a tremendous start to the UCI Track World Cup in Perth on Friday.
The winner of three National Games golds last year, and an Asian Road Cycling Championships mixed relay time trial champion last month, the 24-year-old Lee’s elimination race medal in Australia was her first from a global competition.
There was more good news for the city squad when the men’s team pursuit quartet of Ng Pak-hang, Mow Ching-yin, Tso Kai-kwong and 18-year-old debutant Ma Yik-fei secured silver behind the hosts.
The medals broke Hong Kong’s almost five-year competition duck, dating back to a Sarah Lee Wai-sze-inspired haul of two gold and one silver from a home UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup leg in May 2021.
For Hong Kong, this first of three 2026 World Cup legs is doubling as preparation for the Asian Track Cycling Championships later this month.
The five Hong Kong team pursuit riders display their silver medals alongside winners Australia (centre) and bronze medallists Chinese Taipei. Photo: CAHKC
But Lee is eyeing bigger prizes, and her first step onto a world podium, earned after she summoned a thrilling surge to squeeze out home rider Maeve Plouffe when four of the 11 starters were left, represented another significant stop in her journey to world championships and Olympic honours.