‘I AM AFRAID I WILL DO BADLY AGAIN’
Ceci Lee battles the demons but is poised to have Olympic Games qualification for omnium confirmed
Ceci Lee Sze-wing said she was stalked by worry and fear on the start line of her omnium event at last week’s Track Nations Cup in Canada.
Leading Hong Kong track rider Lee stuttered home in 20th position, despite entering the competition in fabulous shape, and finishing fifth in a thrilling elimination race 48 hours earlier.
The 22-year-old nevertheless clung to an Olympic Games berth, which is expected to be confirmed when the sport’s UCI governing body releases its quota of qualified riders tomorrow.
Head coach Herve Dagorne acknowledged Lee’s omnium effort in Canada was “absolutely not what we expected”. The Frenchman said before the meeting that Lee was consulting a sports psychologist to try to address the mental issues suffocating her natural talent.
Lee has spoken candidly about her ongoing struggle to manage external expectations, which contributed to a flat performance in the Nations Cup leg staged in Hong Kong last month.
She finished 12th in her home velodrome, matching her result in this year’s opening Nations Cup leg in Adelaide. Lee claimed omnium silver in the relatively reduced surroundings of the Asian Track Championships in February. Dagorne, meanwhile, has reported sizzling training form, which heightened his disappointment over Lee’s “worst showing of the qualification campaign” in Milton, Canada.
“I worry before I do the [omnium], because I didn’t do well in the race in the past two years,” Lee said. “I am afraid I will do badly again, and [on the start line] I am worrying I will disappoint my coach.”
Lee was quickly behind the eight ball in last week’s omnium, after coming home 20th in the opening scratch race. She was 18th in the tempo discipline and ninth in her favoured elimination race, but laboured in the points race for 20th out of 22 finishers.
Dagorne said Lee’s performance was pockmarked by “technical and strategic mistakes”. Those are familiar flaws, apparently stemming from the rider’s hesitancy in elite company. Eight days before the Canadian omnium, she clinically beat a host of male racers to win a warm-up event in Hong Kong.
“She is not using her physical skill [in major competition], she’s good in the sprints [but does not show it],” Dagorne said. “One week before Canada, she showed us she could make the right decisions.
“We are a competitive sport, and have to perform. Progress will come with collaboration – Ceci is able to share her feelings without filter, even if that is sometimes tough and emotional.”
Dagorne reiterated that Lee was being supported “across all the fields at Hong Kong Sports Institute, to help her improve technically and psychologically”.
Lee is reluctant to speak publicly about the guidance she is receiving to tackle her psychological issues on the track.
With regard to her objective of improving technically and strategically, she is earmarking a series of road races in Europe. “I have a lot to do to improve my strategy, because [currently] I cannot show myself in races.
“Europe is the leader in cycling, and competing there will help me get used to the pattern of how to race. I will do more training that targets my weaknesses, have some simulation races with the boys, and compete in scratch races to get more experience.”
Lee said she was “impressed” with her elimination race at the Nations Cup, where she was nudged off the podium following a blanket finish featuring six riders. The discipline is not on the Olympic programme, but will feature at October’s Track World Championships in Denmark.