Taiwanese sprinter Yang Chun-han shocked by reaction to him in Hong Kong
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Competing in the city for the first time, the Taiwanese was working towards this month's Asian Championships in South Korea, in which he will attempt to regain a crown he won eight years ago, when he was 20.
And as he stepped up his preparations at Wan Chai Sports Ground, he praised his young local rivals for their desire to learn from his experience.
'I was shocked, because I had no idea so many athletes knew about me here,' said Yang, who also won Asian Games silver in Jakarta in 2018 and bronze in Hangzhou five years later.
(From left) Chung Tsz-sing, Kwok Chun-ting and Yip King-wai vie for the 100m title. Photo: Eugene Lee
'The level of self-discipline of the young athletes here is very high. They were eager to train and gain more knowledge. They would approach me and initiate conversations with me, so this is a pleasant surprise.'
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On the track, Yang crossed the line first in 21.02 seconds, having opted to slow down as a precaution in the second half of the race after feeling 'a bit of cramp'.
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