Ceci Lee, a Hong Kong cyclist, has successfully defended her women’s road race title at the 2025 National Games. Her victory is being celebrated as a result of “perfect” execution of team tactics.
Lee completed the 138.7-kilometre course in Zhuhai in three hours, 19 minutes, and 54 seconds on Sunday. She crossed the finish line just ahead of Wei Xiaoqing from Guangdong and Feng Lin from Heilongjiang, after a tight group race. This win marks her second gold medal in the National Games, following her victory in the 2021 event in Shaanxi.
After finishing first, Lee raised her fist and gave a victory sign. Speaking to reporters after the race, she highlighted the strategy that Team Hong Kong had for her to dash for the finish line as part of the main group.
“Even though everyone was exhausted towards the end, my teammates fought hard to help me catch up. I thought to myself at that moment: I cannot lose, because it is a team effort,” said the 24-year-old. “Before the race, we planned to race across the finishing line in a group, and [during the race] everyone helped me chase down those ahead of us. Everyone executed the plan perfectly. It was a demonstration of the spirit of selfless sacrifice,” she added, thanking her teammates.
Hong Kong sent six cyclists to the women’s road race event: Lee, Asian Games gold medallist Yang Qianyu, Leung Wing-yee, Leung Bo-yee, Kwan Tsz-kwan, and Guardiola Cheung. The cyclists began the race at Zhuhai Museum at 9am on Sunday under a clear sky, then headed to Hengqin Island on a mostly flat course, circled the island four times before returning to the starting point to finish.
Team Hong Kong was locked in a large group ride for most of the race before picking up speed to shorten the distance to the leading Heilongjiang cyclist, as the group approached the finishing line. Lee sprinted on the final straight and leapfrogged her opponents to take the lead and finish the race.
Yang finished 39th, Leung Wing-yee 40th, Leung Bo-yee 45th, Kwan 50th, and Cheung 68th. Out of the 97 competing athletes, four did not finish the race, while one was disqualified.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law congratulated Lee on defending her title and winning Hong Kong’s second gold medal in this year’s National Games. “Lee has once again brought glory to Hong Kong following her gold medal at the last [National Games], fully demonstrating that Hong Kong athletes are capable of competing with top-tier athletes in high-level competitions,” Law said in a government press release.
Sailor Nicholas Halliday won the city’s first gold in men’s single-handed dinghy ILCA7 in Shanwei, Guangdong, on October 29. The National Games will run until November 21.