Hong kong superstar keeps his cool in blazing to gold in sport's asiad debut

Guangzhou - Hong Kong's Steven Wong consolidated his status as Asia's BMX king on Friday by claiming the sport's inaugural Asiad title.

Dozens of reporters, a huge throng of fans and Timothy Fok, Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia and President of the Olympic Committee of Hong Kong were on hand to witness Wong's gold-medal ride, and the 22-year-old superstar never flinched under the pressure.

Japan's Akifumi Sakamoto and Masahiro Sampei won the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

China's Ma Liyun, winner of October's Asian Championships, won the women's event, with Miwa Ayaka of Japan taking the silver medal and China's Yue Cong the bronze.

Coming off his fifth straight title at the Asian BMX Championships in October, Wong said he was well prepared for the Asiad.

"The Asian Games is very special because it is the biggest competition in Asia. Basically, I have won everything I could achieve in Asia, but this is the first time for BMX at the Asian Games and apparently everyone wanted it," Wong said.

"When I sprinted in the last section of the lap, I almost fell down. I want to keep winning and I don't like the feeling of being a loser. I'm happy that so many people support me and encourage me."

The son of a Chinese father and a Belgian mother, Wong was born in Belgium and moved to Hong Kong as a youth.

On his twelfth birthday he received a second-hand BMX bike, valued at HKD 5,000, as a present from his father.

Many of Wong's earliest championship trophies were won on that bike.

During the qualification race for the 2008 Olympic Games, a crash cost Wong a berth in Beijing.

"I missed the 2008 Olympics and now the 2012 Olympics in London is my main goal, for sure," he said. "It's time for me to move on."

Before "the BMX king" arrived on the scene, Olympic windsurfing gold medalist Lee Lai Shan and road and track cyclist Wong Kam Po were Hong Kong's most celebrated athletes.

Lee won Hong Kong's only Olympic gold medal by triumphing in the women's mistral boardsailing class at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics while Wong, 37, once dubbed the king of cycling in Asia and a two-time Asiad champion, became the first Chinese world champion when he won the 15km scratch at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2007.

With Hong Kong likely to bid for the 2023 Asian Games, Steven Wong is enjoying the same kind of veneration.

"Steven enjoys great popularity back in Hong Kong. A lot of young people admire him a lot. They have expected his victory today, and I believe the fans will be very excited to hear the news," said Fok.

"Now, everyone is looking forward to seeing him peform in London in 2012. All of us will cheer for him."

China Daily

(China Daily 11/20/2010)