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2018
21 Oct

New World Harbour Race 2018 Another Year at Historical Route – 3,358 Swimmers Completed Race at Victoria Harbour

• Cho Cheng Chi and Wang Yi Chen triumphed in the International Category

• Open Category champions are Sin Chin Ting Keith and Li Hannah Hang Fung

• Another year at historical race route starting from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai, offers swimmers a unique Hong Kong experience

• “New World Springboard Category” firstly introduced to unleash full potential of young swimmers 

New World Development Company Limited (“New World Group”) and the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association (“HKASA”) hosted the annual sporting event – New World Harbour Race 2018 – at Victoria Harbour today with the participation of 3,358 local and overseas swimmers to successfully swim across the Victoria Harbour. The New World Harbour Race has now entered its eighth year since its rerun. The legendary cross-harbour race route from Tsim Sha Tsui Public Pier to Golden Bauhinia Square Public Pier at Wan Chai, is featured again this year to allow swimmers to enjoy the internationally renowned Victoria Harbour skyline. The organiser arranged a carnival with game booths and distribution of event souvenirs at the Wan Chai Golden Bauhinia Square, to further enhance the atmosphere amongst the thousands of spectators who came to cheer for the event.

The 1000-metre New World Harbour Race 2018 kicked off at Tsim Sha Tsui Public Pier, and finished at Golden Bauhinia Square Public Pier in Wan Chai. To mark the official opening of the racing groups at 8am today, the gun-firing ceremony was officiated by The Honourable Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-Ngor, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Dr. Law Chi-kwong, Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Mr. Wong Kam-Sing, Secretary for the Environment; Mr. Adrian Cheng Chi-Kong, Executive Vice-chairman and General Manager of New World Development Company Limited; Mr. Au Tak-Cheong, and Mr. Sitt Nam-Hoi, Executive Director of New World Development Company Limited; and Mr. Ronnie Wong, President of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association.

After a morning of intense competitions, the trophies for the International Category Individual Men & Women went to Cho Cheng Chi and Wang Yi Chen who clocked 10’45.6 and 12’04.7 respectively. Local swimmers Sin Chin Ting Keith and Li Hannah Hang Fung were declared the male and female champions in the Open (A) Aged 17-34 Individual Category, with times of 11’26.8 and 12’26.3 respectively.

Mr. Ronnie Wong, President of the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association, said, “This year, the enrolment quota for participants has been raised to 3,600 to allow more people who love swimming to take part. I would like to thank every organisation that has supported us for all these years. We have returned to the signature route from Tsim Sha Tsui to Wan Chai for another year to offer swimmers a truly unique Hong Kong experience of swimming across the Victoria Harbour”. This year’s race has been awarded the “M” Mark for the seventh consecutive year and participated by swimmers from different sectors of society, including Ms. Michelle Wai, Mr. Subyub Lee, Mr. Daniel Lee, Ms. Rosanna Yu, Ms. Stephanie Au, Ms. Yvette Kong, Mr. Derick Ng and others. It is anticipated that more and more swimmers will take part in this large-scale and world-class sporting event in the future. 

Mr. Adrian Cheng, the Executive Vice-chairman and General Manager of New World Development Company Limited, said, “New World Group is truly honoured to title sponsor the New World Harbour Race for the eighth consecutive year, and join hand with the Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association for local sports development. We believe that every swimmer upholds the artisan-like focus and perseverance, and determination to pursue perfection when they swim, which resonates with New World Group’s brand personality, ‘The Artisanal Movement’. I would also like to mention that, the ‘New World Springboard Category’ is firstly introduced this year under ‘New World Swimming Academy’, in collaboration with Hong Kong Amateur Swimming Association. We hope to further encourage the underprivileged young swimmers to unleash their full potential in swimming.”

In the K11 Harbour Race Youth Category Aged 12-16 Individual, Sum Ka Lok Lino and Leung Ka Ching won the race by clocking 11’41.4 and 12’28.1 respectively. Champions of the Open (B) Aged 35-49 Individual, Liljestroem Lennart Peter Fredric and Slater Sheryl Lynn, clinched the top titles with times of 12’06.1 and 14’32.7, while in the Open (C) Aged 50 or Above Individual, Lanzone Francesco and Chang Lai Shan Eliza, who finished in 13’40.4 and 18’23.6, took the trophies. In the School Category, the male and female champions were Tak Sun Secondary School and Victoria Shanghai Academy. In the New World Harbour Race Invitation Cup, Yan Ho Chun, representatives of Correctional Services Department, and Wong Yee Ching, representatives of Fire Services Department managed to complete the race as champions by clocking 13’14.4 and 16’28.2 respectively. In the “New World Springboard Category”, Mak Ho Yan won the race by clocking 13’53.7. 

In this year’s race, the oldest swimmer was aged 76, and the youngest swimmer aged 12. Full results of the race will be uploaded to the New World Harbour Race website at https://www.hkharbourrace.com/?lang=hk. 

This year’s race worked with swimmers to go green through measures such as having an online registration procedure, arranging for green ambassadors to promote environmental protection and recycling at the finish, providing recyclable paper cups at the start-point water stations, and setting up recycling bins.