The Review 2008

The Review 2008 Elaine Chan Yu-Ning star ted training as a swimmer at age 11 and competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics, as well as Beijing. She juggled her University studies with an intense training schedule that included early morning and afternoon swimming. She placed in the top half of the field of 92 competitors in the 50-metre freestyle. “I was the last Hong Kong swimmer to compete at the Games so it was very tough for me. Everybody else was finished and I hadn’t started yet. I had to be disciplined and not let myself get too excited so I wouldn’t lose interest – I need some excitement to race because I’m a sprinter. I was swimming against the best in the world and it was the best experience in my swimming life.” The Review 2008 • Community Fencer Lau Kwok-Kin is a graduate in Spor t Science and Leisure Management and now teaches spor t and fitness to others. He has the experience to back up his academic training: age 31, he has competed in various high-level competitions including the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he competed in the men’s individual foil. “It was an honour to be among the top athletes at the Games. There were only 26 fencers in my event and, although I didn’t do so well in the end, it was a valuable experience for my fencing career and in my life. One of the most memorable things is that my family was able to come to Beijing to support me. It was the first time they were with me at a major sporting competition.” Vicky Chan Wai-Kei is one of Asia’s top female windsurfers. She has been competing since she was an Engineering student at HKU, when she won a Gold medal at the 2004 World University Games. She graduated in 2005 and has since devoted herself to training and racing. Beijing was her first Olympics and she placed ninth in the world. “I train six days a week if I’m in Hong Kong, otherwise I am travelling around the world for various competitions and doing pre-race training there. Being a part of the Olympic Games is a dream of every athlete, including me. I treat this as a milestone in my windsurfing career.” 46 47