Lee Wai Sze
Lee Wai Sze (Chinese: 李慧詩; Jyutping: lei5 wai6 si1; born 12 May 1987) MH,[2] also known as Sarah Lee, is a Hong Kong professional racing cyclist. She specialises in track cycling especially as a sprinter.[1]
She is best known for winning the bronze medal in the women's keirin at the 2012 London Olympics, Hong Kong's first-ever Olympic medal in cycling.
Early years
Lee was born on 12 May 1987 in Kowloon, Hong Kong.[1] She grew up in a poor family in Ngau Tau Kok, sharing a 200-square-foot public flat with her parents and two older siblings.[3] Lee attended two schools in the locality, Bishop Paschang Catholic School and Leung Shek Chee College.[4]
Although born with anemia,[5] Lee represented her school in athletics in 100 and 400 metre dash.[6][7] At Form 3, her school recommended her to the Hong Kong Sports Institute and her talent was spotted by the Hong Kong Cycling Association.[6][7]
Career
Lee became a full-time athlete in 2004.[6][7] Initially trained as a road cyclist, Lee was in danger of bowing out of cycling after a serious accident in 2006 as she swerved to avoid a stray dog during training, where she suffered a broken left scaphoid bone.[8] Lee is coached by Jinkang Shen,[1] who has also coached other successful Hong Kong cyclist including Kam-Po Wong.[9]
2010 Asian Games
Lee captured the attention of Hong Kong when she won gold at the 500 meter time trial track cycling event at the 2010 Asian Games,[10] in which she broke the Asian Record in winning the championship with a time of 33.945 s.[11] Lee also won a bronze in the sprint event.[12] In December 2010, Lee improved her Asian Record in 500 meter time trial with a time of 33.939 s in the 2010 Melbourne Track Cycling World Cup.[13] Lee's performance has impressed the cycling hierarchy, and she received the Hong Kong Potential Sports Stars Awards for 2010.[14] She has also received the Medal of Honour from the Hong Kong Government in 2011 for her outstanding achievements in international cycling competitions.[2]
2012 Track Cycling World Cup
In February 2012 at the 2012 London Track Cycling World Cup, Lee upset Olympic champion Victoria Pendleton to win a bronze medal in the sprint event at the London Velodrome. She beat Pendleton 2–1 after losing to eventual champion Guo Shuang of China in the semi-finals.[15] Lee also won a silver in the keirin final. The Union Cycliste Internationale described 24-year-old Lee as "a late revelation in the sprint events" after she claimed her second medal.[16]
2012 Summer Olympics
Lee was chosen as the flag bearer of the Hong Kong Olympic Representatives for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.[17][18] She won the bronze medal in women's keirin.[19] Lee's bronze medal feat handed Hong Kong their first ever Olympic medal in cycling, and only their third overall.[20][21] Lee also participated in the women's sprint event although she did not progress through the 1/8 Finals after losing to Cuba's Lisandra Guerra. Lee eventually finished at the 10th place.[22] Lee received HK$ 750k from the Hang Seng Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme for her achievement in the Games.[23] In an interview with Ming Pao, Lee said she hoped her achievement in the London Olympics can inspire a new generation of Hong Kong athletes for the 2016 Olympic Games.[24]
2013 Track Cycling World Cup
After the Olympics, Lee had a perfect start in the 2012–13 World Cup opening series with a gold medal in the women's sprint in Cali, Colombia, which is her first victory in a World Cup event.[25] This is followed by a bronze in women's keirin in the second leg, which was held in Glasgow, Scotland.[26] Lee won her first medal in 2013 by coming third in the women's sprint event in the third leg of the 2012–13 World Cup series.[27]
2013 UCI World Track Championships
In February 2013, Lee carried on her good form and won gold in the women's 500m time-trial at the World Track Championships in Belarus.[28][29] After the gold, Lee beat Guo Shuang of China in Women's Sprint and won a bronze medal, securing her second medal in Minsk.
Personal life
Lee's idol is Great Britain's six-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy.[30]
Lee is a Baptist Christian.[31] In 2009, she enrolled on a distance-learning course to study theology with the New York Theological Education Center Chinese Online School of Theology.[32][33]
Palmarès
- 2009
- Asian Cycling Championships
- 2nd 500 m Time trial
- ACC Track Asia Cup
- 1st Keirin, Bangkok[34]
- 1st 500 m Time trial
- 1st Team Sprint (with Meng Zhao Juan)
- 1st Sprint
- 2010
- 2009–2010 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
- 3rd Keirin, Beijing
- Asian Games
- 1st 500 m Time trial
- 3rd Sprint
- Asian Cycling Championships
- 2nd 500 m Time trial
- 3rd Sprint
- 3rd Team Sprint (with Meng Zhao Juan)
- ACC Track Asia Cup
- 1st 500 m Time trial, Hakodate
- 1st Sprint, Hakodate
- 2nd Team Sprint (with Meng Zhao Juan), Hakodate
- 2nd Keirin, Hakodate
- 1st 500 m Time trial, Kuala Lumpur
- 2nd Sprint, Kuala Lumpur
- 2nd Keirin, Kuala Lumpur
- 1st 500 m Time trial, Bangkok
- 2nd Sprint, Bangkok
- 2nd Keirin, Bangkok
- 2nd Team Sprint (with Meng Zhao Juan), Bangkok
- 2011
- 2010–2011 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
- 3rd 500 m Time trial,, Melbourne
- Asian Cycling Championships
- 1st 500 m Time trial
- 3rd Sprint
- 3rd Team Sprint (with Meng Zhao Juan)
- ACC Track Asia Cup
- 2010–11 UCI Track Cycling World Ranking
- 1st 500 m Time trial
- 2012
- Olympic Games
- 3rd Keirin
- 2011–2012 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
- 2nd Keirin, London
- 3rd Sprint, London
- Asian Cycling Championships
- 1st 500 m Time trial
- 1st Sprint
- 3rd Keirin
- All China National Track Cycling Championships
- 2nd Keirin
- 2nd 500 m Time trial
- 3rd Sprint
- UCI Track Cycling World Ranking
- 1st Sprint
- 2013
- UCI Track World Championships
- 1st 500 m time trial
- 3rd Sprint
- 2012–2013 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
- 1st Sprint, Cali
- 3rd Keirin, Glasgow
- 3rd Sprint, Aguascalientes
- Overall 1st Keirin
- Overall 1st Sprint
- Asian Cycling Championships
- 1st 500 m Time trial
- 1st Keirin
- UCI Track Cycling World Ranking
- 1st Time trial
- 1st Keirin
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Wai Sze Lee". Athlete overview. LOCOG. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- 1 2 "2011 Honours List". Press Releases. Government of Hong Kong. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ 牛下女車神 寧用銅牌換親切感. 要聞 (in Chinese). Sharp Daily. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ 李慧詩收起眼淚渴望被愛. The Sun. 體育 (in Chinese). 15 June 2011. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Perfect model for our can-do spirit". The Standard. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- 1 2 3 母校老師對李慧詩獲獎感驕傲. 港聞 (in Chinese). Sing Tao Daily. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- 1 2 3 母校老師形容李慧詩活潑開朗拼勁十足. 港聞 (in Chinese). RTHK. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ 沈金康曾勸李慧詩退役. Apple Daily. 體育 (in Chinese). 5 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Kam-Po Wong". Athlete overview. LOCOG. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Pots of gold". The Standard. 15 November 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ "SHA congratulates Lee Wai Sze for winning first AG Gold". Press Releases. Government of Hong Kong. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ 李慧詩亞運摘一金一銅稱喜出望外. 港聞 (in Chinese). RTHK. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Women's 500 Metres Time Trial Results" (PDF). www.tissottiming.com. 4 December 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Bank of China Hong Kong Sports Stars Awards". Olympic Committee of Hong Kong. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Olympic promise". The Standard. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ "Lee Wai-sze 'a revelation' at London Games test". Sports. South China Morning Post. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ "London 2012 Opening Ceremony – Flag Bearers" (PDF). Games London 2012. IOC. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "HK Cyclist Lee Wai Sze Selected as Flag Bearer for Olympics". Sports. All-China Women's Federation. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Women's Keirin Results". Sport Olympics. BBC. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Lee makes cycling history for Hong Kong". Yahoo!7 News. Yahoo!7. 4 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Victoria Pendleton wins gold in the Olympics keirin". BBC Sport – Olympics. 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-08-22.
- ↑ "Women's Sprint Results". Sport Olympics. BBC. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Bronze Medallist Lee Wai-Sze receives HK$750,000 under Heng Seng Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme" (PDF). Press Release. Hang Seng Bank. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
- ↑ Ming Pao (10 August 2012). 女車神李慧詩: 香港人不是垃圾. 港聞 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ↑ Chan, Kin-Wa (14 October 2012). "Lee Wai-sze sprints to World Cup gold". South China Morning Post.
- ↑ "Women's Keirin / Keirin femmes Results and Final Classification / Résultats et classement final". UCI Track Cycling. 18 November 2012.
- ↑ "Women's Sprint / Vitesse femmes Results and Final Classification / Résultats et classement final". UCI Track Cycling. 18 January 2013.
- ↑ "World Track Cycling: Becky James sprints to time trial bronze". BBC. 21 February 2013.
- ↑ "Cycling results". BBC. 21 February 2013.
- ↑ Lee aiming high after seeing Olympic buildup is on track The Standard. 22 February 2012.
- ↑ 多謝教練,多謝上帝 奧運銅牌李慧詩:讀《聖經》令我冷靜下來. 新聞 (in Chinese). 可圈可點 Upwill. 6 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ 香港驕傲 李慧詩信可摘金. 港聞 (in Chinese). Sina Hong Kong. 5 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ 李慧詩:向著標竿直「踩」. 關顧小組加油站 (in Chinese). New York Theological Education Center. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- ↑ "Track". Events. Asian Cycling Confederation. Retrieved 2012-08-13.
- 1 2 "Wai Sze Lee". Results. Cycling Archives. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
- 1 2 3 4 "ACC TRACK ASIA CUP – Final Round". Events and Results. Malaysian National Cycling Federation. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- 1 2 "All China National Track Cycling Championships / 綜合成績全國場地單車錦標錦標賽" (PDF). 綜合成績 (in Chinese). Hong Kong Cycling Association. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
Summer Olympics | ||
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Preceded by Wong Kam-po |
Flagbearer for Hong Kong London 2012 |
Succeeded by Stephanie Au |
Awards | ||
Preceded by Kwong Yuk Ming Li Tsz Hei Kong Man-Yi Yvette Chan Tsz Ka Kaka |
Hong Kong Potential Sports Stars Awards 2010 With: Chan Hau Wah Brenda Lee Tsun Sang Chun Hing Chan |
Succeeded by Cheung Ngan Yi Yu Ching Ching Wong Chin To Cheng Hiu Lam Lau In Kwan Lok Kwan Hoi Perry Wong Lau Tsz Hong |