Schoolboy Lin Ming-fu continued his rise to prominence by winning the men’s long jump at the Hong Kong Athletics Series 2, and said he hoped to threaten the eight-metre mark at the city championships next month.
The 18-year-old – who last summer became the first Hongkonger to qualify in a field event for the World Athletics U20 Championships – came within 19cm of that distance on Sunday at Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground.
He finished first with a fifth jump of 7.81 metres, with Ma Ka-ho coming second with a personal best of 7.67 and Wong Pak-hang placed third with 7.49. Tsang Yuk-pui, 16, finished sixth after equalling the city’s under-18 record of 7.21.
“I’m so happy with today’s result, even though I’m not feeling fresh,” said Lin, who 10 days earlier set a PB of 7.89 – a new Hong Kong under-20 best – while competing in numerous events in a local schools meet.
“I hadn’t recovered from the school competition, so that fifth attempt really surprised me and my coach,” the sixth-former said. “It proves that the 7.89 wasn’t just luck, when even though I’m so tired, I can still make 7.80-something.”
Having already secured a place to start the University of Hong Kong’s Bachelor of Business Administration programme in September via the city’s athlete admission scheme, Lin plans to train full-time this summer after completing his secondary school exams.
He recently began working with Rolf Ohman, Hong Kong’s jumps coach, to improve his technical side.
“If I improve on my technical side, I’ll be able to jump even further – what Rolf said was really encouraging,” said Lin, who took up the event only in late 2021 before making it to the junior global championships months later on a wild card, finishing ninth.
He set the city under-20 record as his first goal after that, and achieved it this month by breaking Chan Ming-tai’s nine-year-old mark.
“My next short-term goal is definitely eight metres, and if I can improve my consistency, I hope to do it in the next month,” Lin said, adding that the local Series 3 on April 1 and 2 was the next opportunity.
Tiffany Yue Nga-yan won the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.19m, followed by Wong Pui-ling and Shannon Chan with 5.84 and 5.80 respectively.
In the high jump, city No 1 Phoebe Chung Wai-yan won by clearing 1.71, 1.73 and 1.77m before failing at 1.81m.
“I’m glad that I could come back with my normal height after a disappointing performance in Series 1,” said Chung, who last month managed only 1.71 in that meet after succeeding at 1.80 in the Asian Indoor Championships.
Priscilla Cheung Ching-laam and Sharon Wong Yuen-nam came second and third in 1.71 and 1.68.