Hong Kong’s Christy Yiu to take part in Milan Marathon hoping to achieve Olympic qualification

Hong Kong running star Christy Yiu Kit-ching has been thrown a lifeline in her stuttering Olympic qualifying campaign after being handed an invite to take part in next weekend’s Milan Marathon – her first marathon race in 22 months.

Yiu’s hopes to qualify for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics have been thrown in disarray since the pandemic threw the world sporting calendar upside down in 2020.

The 33-year-old long-distance runner needed assistance from the world governing body to save her Olympic qualification campaign after every race she wanted to compete was either cancelled or she was rejected because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Rio Olympian has been struggling to get a single racing opportunity after competing in the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon and she desperately wants to compete overseas in her bid to qualify for her second Olympics.

A senior local official shared Yiu’s frustrations but said she might finally get the opportunity to compete again in the marathon after months of anxiety.

“Yiu needs to reach the [Olympics] entry mark but unfortunately she has been denied the opportunity one race after another after competing in Australia and this is mainly due to the pandemic,” said Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates chairman Kwan Kee. “The event she has supposed to compete was this month’s Copenhagen Marathon in Denmark but that was called off in late April due to Covid-19 safety measures in the city.                                                   

“We have found the Milan Marathon, which is opened to invited athletes and after seeking assistance from World Athletics and the local organisers for the event, we were able to obtain a spot for her. And there is no need for her to do the quarantine when she arrives in Milan.”

The Milan Marathon, which will take place in the northern Italian city on May 16, will be run on a fast circuit of 7.5 kilometres with runners running around it five times. The hub will be Piazza del Cannone, in front of Castello Sforzesco, the famous castle that was built in the 15th century by Francesco Sforza.

posted Wednesday May 5th
by Chan Kin-wa