Hong Kong swimmer Ian Ho Yen-tou made history by clinching a gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle at the National Games, achieving a Hong Kong record-breaking time of 21.71 seconds.
The victory marks a significant milestone, as Ho becomes the first male swimmer from Hong Kong to win a gold medal at the National Games.
Ho advanced to the final with the second-best qualifying time and faced tough competition, including national team swimmer Pan Zhanle, the Paris Olympics gold medalist in the men's 100m freestyle.
Starting from lane 5 in the final, Ho showcased his speed and skill, recording the second-fastest start among the eight finalists.
Leading nearly halfway through the race, Ho maintained his advantage and finished strong, winning by a margin of 0.46 seconds ahead of silver medalist Chen Hao from Liaoning.
With this victory, the Hong Kong team has now amassed a total of seven gold medals at this year's National Games.
Ho will be receiving HK$750,000 cash incentives under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme, which HKJC sponsors the Hong Kong Sports Institute to provide cash awards to local athletes who excel in major sporting events.
