1,200 entrants make a splash in Victoria Harbour race

One of Hong Kong’s most popular mass sporting events took place on Sunday morning after a two-year suspension, although the event was limited in size because of the pandemic.

Organisers of the New World Harbour Race switched the start and end points, and around 1,200 participants swam from Golden Bauhinia Square Public Pier in Wan Chai to the end of the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Keith Sin, a 27-year-old fulltime athlete, won the men’s section.

Sin said it was the sixth time he’s taken part and the fourth time he’s won.

He liked the route change because he was more aware of the spectators, and it gave him confidence during the swim.

Sin said he’s going to train for the Asian Games.

Nip Tsz-yin, who’s also a fulltime athlete, won the women’s event.

Nip said it was her third cross harbour race, and liked the new course, although she found swimming conditions choppier than expected.

The cross-harbour race is the second large-scale sports event in the SAR to be approved by the government, but entries were slashed by more than 60 percent because of the pandemic.

The last event in 2018 featured 4,000 swimmers.