Hong Kong triathlete Bailee Brown set to return from injury ordeal in mainland China race
Bailee Brown has been cleared to return from her injury nightmare and join a 16-strong Hong Kong contingent at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Taizhou on Saturday.
While the men's big three of Jason Ng Tai-long, Oscar Coggins and Robin Elg will skip the event, some of their teammates competing on the mainland this weekend have been warned they were fighting for their international futures.
The luckless Brown needed three operations since badly damaging a finger in December. However, head coach Andrew Wright said the 25-year-old was in rude health following an unbroken four-week training block.
'Cream always rises to the top, and people who are talented bounce back from anything,' he added. 'She's as fit as she was before the injury, although not as fit or as fast as she'd have been without it. She'll be nearly there by the National Games [in November].'
Wright said being able to train and fulfil her potential had significantly lifted Brown's mood. 'When you're stopped from doing what you're passionate about, it's a bit depressing,' he added.
Oscar Coggins (left) is focusing on the National Championships. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Coggins, Ng and Elg, along with Hilda Choi Yan-yin, are focusing on the China National Championships, which happen in a fortnight. Last time out, in Chengdu five weeks ago, Coggins' heartbeat dropped alarmingly, before he faded during the closing run. The 25-year-old had been disappointed with his performance at April's Asia Sprint Championships, too.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Glory night for Hong Kong football must be start of something special
Every new sports arena, no matter how impressive, needs to bear witness to memorable events to become an iconic venue revered by fans. On Tuesday night, Hong Kong's Kai Tak Stadium played host to such an occasion. The city's football team snatched a dramatic last-gasp victory over India in a crucial match, cheered on by more than 42,000 ecstatic fans. As Hong Kong's head coach Ashley Westwood said, it will be talked about for years to come. But there is still work to be done. Advertisement The atmosphere was of a kind rarely seen at football matches in the city. The aim must be to ensure that the victory – and the celebrations accompanying it – are not a one-off. It should be the start of something special. Westwood has come under fire from fans. His name was booed before the match kicked off. Supporters have taken issue with his team selection, objecting to a perceived preference for naturalised players, as well as a recent goal drought. The coach has, however, led the team on a run of 10 successive international games without defeat. Most wins have been against lower-ranked opponents. But the dramatic victory over India, who were 53 places higher than Hong Kong in the global ratings going into the game, puts the city's team in a strong position to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals. They deserve support as they seek to reap the rewards of recent results. Hong Kong competed in the finals last year for the first time in more than half a century. The qualifying campaign will resume in October. Advertisement Hong Kong football needs all the backing it can get. The domestic game does not receive enough sponsorship or interest from fans. The local Premier League struggles to attract top players and attendances are low.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Ultra-marathon sensation Sunmaya Budha blazes a trail for women to follow
Three days before the Hong Kong 100 Ultra Marathon in January, Sunmaya Budha was racing against time to reach the city due to visa delays. She was nearly 3,000km away, in Nepal's mountainous Jumla district. She first had to catch a flight from its tiny, weather-dependent airstrip to another city, then to the capital, Kathmandu, and finally onwards to Hong Kong. Advertisement Within 48 hours of landing, however, Budha did not just run the 103km race along the Sai Kung Peninsula and across Hong Kong's forests, beaches and hillsides, but also scored a record-breaking victory . In what sports commentators called 'devastating for her competitors', Budha finished the women's run in 11:11:47, breaking Chinese runner Xiang Fuzhao's 2020 record of 11:28:21. 'I was incredibly happy setting a new record after a few setbacks the previous year,' says Budha, 26, on a warm spring day in Kathmandu. She is rushing again, this time flying to Italy the following day for a training camp, before competing in the Chengdu Trail Race 60km, which she would go on to win. 'It makes me realise the importance of hard work,' she says, 'and that nothing is impossible if you are determined.' Sunmaya Budha during a 2023 Nepal Trail Series run in Kathmandu. Photo: Nepal Trail Series Budha has had an indomitable spirit her entire life. She rebelled against the teen marriage still practised in Nepal's remote villages and revolted against social norms that restrict girls from following their chosen career paths. Budha is now Nepal's fastest woman ultra-marathon trail runner, third in Asia and 13th globally in the female 23-34 age group, according to the International Trail Running Association's performance index, which puts her in the world's top 0.01 per cent in the field. In Hong Kong, where she frequently travels for races, Budha has become a force to be reckoned with. Six of her seven races in 2023 were in the city. She won the North Face 100 Ultra Trail Challenge Hong Kong 100km race and Lantau 50 (27km) in the same week in December, having won the 50k TransLantau race the previous month. She also won another half marathon and two 50k races in March and April that year. Those wins seemed prophetic. Around 2018, Rémi Duchemin from the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc Organising Committee said he saw Budha 'winning the world's greatest races in the coming 10-15 years, zero doubt'. Meanwhile, Lithuanian runner Gediminas Grinius described Budha as 'calm, serene and sometimes shy, but on the trails, she is the killer – silent killer'. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
11 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
SCMP Best Bets: Win a pot of gold with Rainbow Seven at Sha Tin
Sam Agars WINNING DATA - R5 (1) Rises in trip, drops in grade and gets some weight off thanks to Ellis Wong Jay Rooney PING HAI COMET - R6 (3) Has struck form with backto- back wins and looks hard to beat again Trackwork Spy GENTLEMEN LEGACY - R9 (7) Can go one better after a strong second last start Phillip Woo HAROLD WIN - R7 (1) Looks ready to add another win to his solid Class Four form HK Racing News Get updates direct to your inbox Sign up Best Bets Racing News By registering you agree to our T&Cs & Privacy Policy Error: Please enter a valid email. The email address is already in use. Please login to subscribe. Error, please try again later. THANK YOU You are one the list. Shannon (Vincent Wong) RAINBOW SEVEN - R3 (3) Showed a good turn of foot over this C&D last start and can score from better gate Racing Post Online BOTTOMUPTOGETHER - R8 (2) Solid effort for second last start and can salute here Tom Wood RAINBOW SEVEN - R3 (3) Talented youngster looks ready to find the pot of gold after two strong runs
