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Asian Games: Barriers broken in strong start for Hong Kong in Hangzhou
The last time Hong Kong made it to the top 10 of the Asian Games medal table was in 1986.
Hong Kong athletes already managed to get a few firsts for their city even before the end of the second day of the Asian Games in Hangzhou. They have stayed fifth on the overall medal table, an incredible spot for a country that hasn't managed a top 10 finish at the Asiad since 1986.
When Hong Kong last finished in the top 10 of an Asian Games, it was still under British administration. They finished 13th in both the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games but that might just change in 2023. The opening day was busy and productive for Hong Kong at the end of which the city's athletes had accumulated seven medals. Rowers Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun in the men's pairs.
Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun managed to stay ahead of rowers from silver medallists Uzbekistan and bronze medalists India. Lam and Wong, who qualified for the final ranked second overall, finished in 6 minutes 44.20 seconds. They were trailing Uzbekistan for the first half of the 2,000 metre race but managed to get themselves in front. There was 3.91 seconds in the end between the gold and silver medal.
Later in the day, Cheung Ka-Long became the first fencer from Hong Kong to win gold at the Asian Games. Cheung is the reigning Olympic champion in the sport, having become the first from the city to win an Olympic gold in the sport and just the second Hong Kongese overall to win any Olympic gold. It would have been a Hong Kong one-two in the event had it not been for Ryan Choi Chun-yin losing in the semi-finals but that also meant that he won bronze.
Siobhan Haughey won bronze in 50m breaststroke on Day 1 but on Day 2, she broke a glass ceiling by becoming the first from the city to win an Asiad swimming gold. She won the women's 200m freestyle while Ian Hou Yentou won silver at the men’s 50 metres final. This was Hong Kong's first men's swimming medal at the Asiad in 25 years. Wushu athlete Liu Xuxu also added a silver to the city’s medal tally in the women’s changquan final. Samuel Hui Tak-yan then took silver in the men’s all-round final.
