Track cycling star Lee adds second Asian Games silver, eyes road race medal

Hong Kong track cycling prodigy Ceci Lee Sze-wing has enjoyed a “complete” few days after adding an omnium silver to her medal tally at her debut Asian Games on Friday.

The 22-year-old finished first in one of the four races at the Chun’an Jieshou Sports Centre Velodrome, located some 190 kilometres to the south of Hangzhou, but had to settle for her second silver behind Japan’s Yumi Kajihara, having also been the runner-up in the women’s Madison on Thursday.

The Hong Kong delegation has now won five golds, 13 silvers, and 18 bronze to date in Hangzhou – 36 medals in total,

Lee insisted she is not finished, however, and wants more with the women’s road race still to come next Wednesday.

“I wanted a medal for omnium so I have succeeded,” she said.

“It was unexpected, particularly with the team pursuit. Silver in omnium was my target so with these medals I am satisfied.

“It’s recognition because it’s a multi-sport Games after all. It’s a complete Games in terms of track cycling for me, as all of my targets were reached or even surpassed.”

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Lee, a three-time regional championships medallist, finished just behind the medal favourite Kajihara in the opening scratch race, before evening the tie with her in the tempo race moments later.

The 26-year-old Kajihara, who won silver on home soil at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, emerged victorious in the elimination race to take the upper hand – sitting six points ahead of Lee – entering the final race.

Lee admitted she made a mistake in the third event but insisted she would learn from the mistakes and be a better rider.

The Hongkonger, who took omnium silver and scratch bronze at the Asian Track Cycling Championships in Malaysia in June, attempted to regain the lost ground by launching attacks over her arch-rival in the final elimination race.

But it was not to be her day as former world champion Kajihara pocketed five more points in the final two sprint laps to defend her gold from five years ago in Jakarta.

“It’s rare Kajihara didn’t sweep all the events in an Asian tournament,” Lee added.

“But she started to look out for me after I took the tempo race so I couldn’t lay low and wait for my chances.”

Lee, who emerged on the scene after claiming bronze at the regional championships in her first senior race in Jincheon in 2020, also insisted there is no room for complacency despite winning three medals in as many days.

“These medals don’t change much really because I lost to Japanese riders after all,” Lee added.

“I didn’t beat any of them so I have to work harder to eliminate the distance in between and challenge them again in Nagoya in 2026.”

In the men’s Madison, Leung Chun-wing – who won gold in Indonesia in 2018 – and teammate Leung Ka-yu missed out on the podium after a dramatic fight on the track.

The Hong Kong pair were still one point ahead of Kazakhstan after completing 16 of the 20 sprint laps. But Artyom Zakharov and Ramis Dinmukhametov outscored them 12 points to seven over the remainder of the race to claim bronze from behind.

Sprinter To Cheuk-hei, who reached the men’s keirin semi-finals, was ninth overall in the end.