Hong Kong Hopes for Another Olympic Medal in Windsurfing

By Parke Brewer 1

Lee Lai Shan competes in women's windsurfing, or Mistral, competition. Her first Olympics was in 1992 in Barcelona, where she placed 11th. But she won the gold four years later in Atlanta, becoming Hong Kong's first-ever Olympic medalist. After a disappointing sixth place finish four years ago in Sydney, Lee who goes by her nickname 2 San San is back at age 33 trying to win another medal.
For these Olympics, the women are competing on fiberglass boards that are 4.24 meters long and weigh 15.5 kilograms. Their sails measure 7.4 square meters.
San San grew up on the Hong Kong Island of Cheung Chau in a small fishing village. Her Uncle owned a sailing shop and introduced her to windsurfing when she was 12 years old. She used to windsurf after school and got better and better.
She has excelled 3 in her sport internationally, and reporter Alvin Sallay of the South China Morning Post daily newspaper told VOA Sports that is rare in Hong Kong.
"Parents normally don't encourage children to play sports mainly due to the pressures of school," he says. "She's a special case, because she has dedicated 4 most of her life to sailing."
Mr. Sallay said San San is part of a scholarship program in Hong Kong, which allows her to compete internationally.
"There are about 10 or 11 sports where elite 5 athletes are given scholarships which the Hong Kong government supports by paying them a small monthly allowance 6 and giving them all the facilities and the training facilities as well as the technical support to train. And whenever they go overseas, they back them with funds," he explains.
As a reporter, Alvin Sallay says it's frustrating 7 covering windsurfer San San at these Olympics, because she is refusing to talk to the media until after competition is completely over.
"I can understand part of the philosophy behind it," he says. "She doesn't want her attention to be diverted 8 by us reporters, and there's quite a lot from the Chinese media, Hong Kong Chinese media, following her to be answering questions and all that. But at the same time for a place like Hong Kong where sports is not all that big a priority 9, I think she should be more forthcoming 10, you know, try to publicize her sport, to advertise her sport by speaking out regularly. It makes life difficult for us, especially when we need to find how she really feels. I mean we can write all the color we want, but to get the exact word from her, the horse's mouth, you know, is difficult. So we have to rely on the coach to give us what happened in his view. Unfortunately we can't get her view."
San San is married to Sam Wong, who himself is a former Olympic windsurfer. He serves as her assistant coach. Her head coach is Dutchman Rene Appel.
Reporter Alvin Sallay says San San was confident heading into these Olympics that she would do well.
"The winds favor her a lot," he adds. "It's generally very light to moderate winds which she excels 11 in, and she thought she had a good chance, but what she's not saying is what color her medal would be. Hopefully, you know, she gets gold."
Hong Kong windsurfer Lee Lai Shan turns 34 one week after the Olympics end. She plans to retire from competition and start a family. She'd like nothing better than to begin the next stage of her life with another Olympic medal.
I'm Parke Brewer, for VOA Sports, Athens.
注释：
Windsurfing〈体〉帆板冲浪运动
Compete比赛
Barcelona巴塞罗纳(西班牙东北部港市)
Atlanta亚特兰大[美国佐治亚州首府]
medallist 奖杯获得者
Sydney悉尼（澳大利亚东南部港市）
nickname绰号
fiberglass玻璃纤维
windsurf 风帆冲浪
dedicate to专注于…，献身于…
elite 精英
allowance津贴, 补助
facility设备, 设施
frustrating 挫折的
philosophy 思想体系
divert转移
forthcoming来临
publicize宣扬
windsurfer帆板运动员
assistant coach助理教练
favor支持, 照顾
moderate中等的, 适度的