Hong Kong star cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze won bronze in the women’s sprint event, the thrid bronze medal for Hong Kong in Tokyo Games.
Beating Emma Hinze of Germany this morning, Lee became the first Hong Kong athlete to win two medals in different Olympics.
Lee lost to Ukrainian Olena Starikova in the semi-final this morning. She then faced Germany’s rising star, 23-year-old Hinze, in the bronze medal race.
In the first race, Lee started to accelerate early which left a huge gap between her and Hinze in the penultimate lap. The tactic proved sufficient, as Lee won the first race with a nearly one-second gap in a best of three match.
A different tactic was deployed in the second race, while Lee was in a constant standoff with Hinze in the first of three laps.
Hinze later accelerated in the second lap and led the race, but Lee’s astonishing explosiveness was once again on display, as she blew past Hinze in the final corner to win with a 0.233 second gap between them.
After winning the match, Lee was finally able to unload her immense pressure while under such a tight racing schedule, as she was seen puffing out her cheeks and raising her arm to celebrate her victory.
Kelsey Mitchell of Canada took home the gold medal while Ukraine's Olena Starikova won silver.
