logo
Hong Kong perfect base for Team GB athletes as they embark on World Championships quest

Hong Kong perfect base for Team GB athletes as they embark on World Championships quest

Team GB Olympic medallist Toby Harries has said that Hong Kong provided the perfect setting to prepare for this weekend's World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou.
Advertisement
Harries is embarking on the second phase of his career, having switched last year to running the 400 metres after considering quitting because he felt 'down and out' after a period of stagnation in the 200m.
He documented his bid to qualify for Great Britain's 2024 Olympics 4x400m men's team for more than 20,000 social media followers, who saw Harries' mission end with a hard-earned bronze medal.
'I'd been working for 10 years with nothing to show for it,' said Harries, who had overcome tearing his hamstring off the bone, as well as about 20 other tears, at the outset of his career.
'If I was going to fail aiming for the biggest event in the world, I wanted to show people you should never give up.'
Toby Harries said he 'would be England level now' had he stuck to rugby. Photo: British Athletics
He went to Paris following injury and illness, and, while the mixed-relay event was happening, Harries was in the warm-up area 'doing my own Olympic final' for the men's quartet.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

David Hayes desperate to keep fading trainers' championship hopes alive at Sha Tin on Saturday
David Hayes desperate to keep fading trainers' championship hopes alive at Sha Tin on Saturday

South China Morning Post

timean hour ago

  • South China Morning Post

David Hayes desperate to keep fading trainers' championship hopes alive at Sha Tin on Saturday

For David Hayes, the equation is simple if he is to keep his faint hopes of a late charge at the trainers' championship alive. 'I need to be training more winners than John [Size] at the next few meetings to have a sneak of a chance,' said Hayes, who trails Size by eight wins with only nine meetings left this season. 'It's highly unlikely but I haven't given up, for all that I'm a realist. If he equals me or worse on Saturday, I'll hoist the white flag.' A two-time champion Hong Kong trainer, Hayes cut Size's double-digit lead to as little as four wins last month before the latter struck back to regain breathing space. After the Australian handlers came up empty at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, they turn their attention to Sha Tin on Saturday with 26 runners between them. David Hayes has a double! ✌️ Solid Shalaa makes it consecutive wins with @elliswong05 at Sha Tin, prevailing in the Members Cup over Packing Bole... 🏆#LoveRacing | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) May 18, 2025 Dirt specialist Solid Shalaa, who bids for a hat-trick of victories in the Class Three HKU Jockey Club Student Villages Handicap (1,200m), and the in-form World Hero are among Hayes' leading chances, while hat-trick seeker Ping Hai Comet shapes as one of Size's best contenders. The prospect of a wet track – with heavy rain forecast on Saturday – threatens to throw a spanner in the works, but Hayes said it won't be an issue for Solid Shalaa. 'He loves the dirt and if all this rain does come, he loves wet dirt as well,' Hayes said. 'I expect him to be one of the favourites and justifiably so – he's on the upgrade.' Returning from almost a year out of racing because of multiple leg injuries, Solid Shalaa followed a first-up second with a pair of fast-finishing victories on dirt under in-form apprentice Ellis Wong Chi-wang. Wong will have to produce another top ride on the Shalaa gelding, who has drawn wide in barrier 10. Rising Force, an outstanding debut winner and unlucky second last start for Ricky Yiu Poon-fai, Mr Energia and Packing Bole look to be his main dangers. World Hero, who has made all in two of his past three starts, must also overcome a wide gate in 14 in the Class Four Hong Kong University Alumni Association Challenge Cup (1,400m). 'He's in great form – he had a class rise and he did get a beautiful ride to win the other day,' Hayes said. 'He gives himself every chance by putting himself on the pace and should run well again.' Hayes will also be represented by Tomodachi Kokoroe and Harmony N Blessed in Saturday's feature, the Class Two HKU Business School And Faculty Of Engineering Handicap (1,200m). 'They are two warhorses for the stable,' said Hayes of the pair, who dead-heated for third behind Kaholo Angel at Happy Valley last start. 'They are at their marks at this stage of their careers but I'd expect them both to get prize money. You never know, if they get the right runs, they're more than capable of winning, though it's a tough class for them. 'I'd lean towards Harmony N Blessed if the going gets soft, but I'd be favouring Tomadachi Kokoroe if it isn't.' Size boasts three of the 11 runners in the race – Wunderbar, who can improve from a last-start eighth in what was his first run in four months, the consistent Raging Blizzard and Must Go, who is better known as a dirt horse. Dashing Maurison, Field Marshal, Sight Happy, Star Brose, Youth Power, Star Mac, Ariel and Supreme Mastermind are Hayes' other runners.

SOTY 2023/24: Sportsperson category winner balances medicine and hurdles
SOTY 2023/24: Sportsperson category winner balances medicine and hurdles

South China Morning Post

time3 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

SOTY 2023/24: Sportsperson category winner balances medicine and hurdles

Chloe Pak Hoi-man, an 18-year-old medical student at the University of Hong Kong, recalled how she started her journey in track and field during primary school. 'During the school's sports day in Primary One, I hadn't trained at all, but I still came second in the 100-metre race. I realised I had some talent and decided to try athletics,' she explained. While Pak initially focused on sprinting, she wanted to challenge herself and learn something new in Primary Six. She transitioned to hurdles after meeting her current coach, Tang Hon-sing. 'He thought I was fast and tall, so he recommended I try hurdles,' Pak said. 'Hurdles involve crossing obstacles, unlike running straight lines in sprints. When I first started, I hesitated a lot, worrying about falling or getting injured. Over time, I learned to focus on mastering techniques rather than worrying.' Over the years, she has faced hurdles in her athletic career. During the pandemic, training opportunities were limited. 'All the sports grounds were closed, and we could only do fitness training at home,' she said. SOTY 2023/24: Performing Artist first runner-up uses music to inspire and build community She recalled a local event where she fell just before the finishing line and lost the race. 'It was devastating and made me afraid of hurdling again. It felt like going back to square one,' she said. However, she eventually found a way to move forward by viewing each hurdle as an opportunity for growth rather than a potential for failure. Her persistence paid off. Pak has broken the Hong Kong under-18 and under-20 records in the women's 100-metre hurdle and achieved her personal best at the 2023 Asian Youth Athletics Championships, where she won silver. She was also the winner in the Sportsperson category at last year's prestigious Student of the Year (SOTY) Awards, organised by the South China Morning Post and solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). Balancing academics and athletics is a constant challenge, but Pak has found ways to manage her time. 'Instead of staying up late to study after training, I started waking up early to study before school. It was tiring, but it allowed me to maintain my training while staying prepared for exams,' she said. Pak achieved her personal best in the women's 100-metre hurdle at the 2023 Asian Youth Athletics Championships, where she won silver. Photo: Shutterstock 'On days without training, I worked hard on my studies, even sacrificing leisure time.' Her interest in medicine developed naturally alongside her athletic journey. 'Aside from the fact that I am deeply intrigued by the intricacies of the human body, I am also drawn to the human side of medicine,' Pak said. Shadowing doctors during internships revealed how medicine goes beyond clinical diagnoses – she learned the value of building deeper connections with patients, built on compassion and trust. These experiences have reinforced her commitment to becoming a doctor. Pak's athletic career has also expanded her horizons. 'Athletics has given me opportunities to visit places like Kuwait and Uzbekistan ... These trips allow me to meet athletes from different cultures and gain new perspectives,' she said. Looking ahead, Pak aims to continue excelling in academics and athletics, with the goal of competing in the Asian Championships and breaking the Hong Kong hurdles record. She also hopes to inspire young athletes through community outreach programmes that encourage a balance between academics and sports. 'If you find something that brings you joy, don't be afraid to pursue it,' she said.

Chris So has Group One hopes for Hong Lok Golf after exciting Happy Valley win
Chris So has Group One hopes for Hong Lok Golf after exciting Happy Valley win

South China Morning Post

time14 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Chris So has Group One hopes for Hong Lok Golf after exciting Happy Valley win

Group One goals could be on the agenda for Hong Lok Golf next season after the exciting galloper continued his rapid rise with a successful Happy Valley debut on Wednesday night. Sent off the $2.8 favourite for the Class Two Cheung Sha Handicap (1,650m), Hong Lok Golf settled sixth and worked into the race when Harry Bentley made his move on the turn. As the $3.5 second favourite Soleil Fighter shot to the lead early in the straight, Steps Ahead launched a determined challenge to hit the front at the 100m. But it was Hong Lok Golf who dug deep when it counted most, lifting down the centre of the track to edge Steps Ahead by a short head. Soleil Fighter was close behind in third. Hong Lok Golf added to his reputation as a rising star of Hong Kong racing with his sixth win from seven starts. The Chris So Wai-yin-trained gelding should arguably be unbeaten, with a luckless second to Righteous Arion at Sha Tin in February his only defeat. Class act, Hong Lok Golf! 🤯 Chris So's talent lifts his impressive record to six wins from seven starts, lunging late to deny Steps Ahead with a second straight Class 2 win... @HarryBentley_ #HappyWednesday | #HKracing — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) June 11, 2025 'I was worried about coming to Happy Valley for the first time, but I thought the horse could be flexible – he can lead, sit off the pace or come from behind - so it was worth the try,' said So. 'Every time he gives you a surprise - he's such a tough horse and never gives up, he always hits the line strongly. I hope he can be a Group One horse in time. 'I don't think we'll go for the Group Three [Premier Plate] next week, there is a [Class One] mile race on July 13 at Sha Tin that we can maybe look at, but we'll see how he pulls up and what the owner thinks.' 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. Bentley, who has been aboard Hong Lok Golf in all seven starts, labelled the four-year-old 'a jockey's dream'. 'This horse is just so tough and he really goes to the well,' Bentley said. Trainer Chris So (second from left), jockey Harry Bentley (centre) and connections of Hong Lok Golf celebrate. 'The pace was a bit sedate, perhaps, for him early on. We got a lovely run through following Steps Ahead but the straight here is a bit on the short side for him and it blunts his staying power, where Sha Tin really suits him with the long straight. 'Chris and his team have done a really good job in keeping him in tip-top shape until now.' A day after celebrating his 33rd birthday, Bentley notched a Valley double after also striking on Jimmy Ting Koon-ho's Smiling Emperor in the Class Five Tai Wo Ping Handicap (1,650m). Elsewhere on Wednesday night, Caspar Fownes extended his lead in the unofficial Valley trainers' championship with a race-to-race double courtesy of Autumn Delight and Capital Delight. Autumn Delight broke through at start six, capitalising on a dream run just off the speed from gate four to claim the second section of the Class Four Tai Hang Tung Handicap (1,200m) under Andrea Atzeni. Andrea Atzeni high-fives the Valley crowd after booting home Autumn Delight. 'It's nice when you can get a result with horses that have a lot of problems,' Fownes said of the four-year-old, who was struck down by a tendon injury last year. 'The owners have been very patient and now they're starting to get the rewards. I think this horse hopefully will improve and win another race before the season finishes.' Capital Delight successfully backed up from a closing second a week earlier to score a barnstorming triumph in the Class Four Tai Kok Tsui Handicap (1,650m) for in-form apprentice Ellis Wong Chi-wang, who has booted home eight winners since the start of May. Known as 'the King of the Valley', Fownes has recorded 25 wins at the city circuit this term. Mark Newnham is his nearest rival with 22. Karis Teetan also chimed in with a brace aboard Smart City and Definitive.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store